


Cold As Ice

by LoverofAllThingsExplicit



Category: Avengers: Age of Ultron - Fandom, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst with a Happy Ending, Avenger Loki (Marvel), Dreams, Eventual Smut, Everybody's here, F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship/Love, I Tried, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Jotunn Loki (Marvel), Loki (Marvel) Does What He Wants, Lots of Angst, May be confusing, Multi, Not Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Out of Character, Part Of A Much Longer Series, Rebirth, Second Chances, Sort Of, That Isn't Finished, soul mates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-01-31 02:13:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21438493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoverofAllThingsExplicit/pseuds/LoverofAllThingsExplicit
Summary: Eldrid Lehnsherr knew she wasn't normal from a very young age. The adopted daughter of two of the world's most notorious mutants put an emphasis on just how strange she was compared to her siblings and extended family. The dreams didn't make things any easier. So when she's given the opportunity to work with the Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Ell jumps at the chance to make something of herself. But upon meeting Earth's resident Asgardians, Ell discovers that there is a lot more than meets the eye about a certain God with a penchant for Mischief, and herself.Now, if only he'd stop insisting they were married . . .
Relationships: Erik Lehnsherr/Original Female Character, Loki/Original Female Character, Tony Stark/Pepper Potts
Comments: 21
Kudos: 62





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of a much longer series that I am slowly putting together and will be added to it as soon as the rest of it is completed. Technically, it can be read as a stand-alone, which is why I'm posting it now. This is technically a combined Universe of X-Men and MCU. Erik Lehnsherr works at Xavier's School for the Gifted, and while not necessarily good, isn't out to rid the world of humans. Peter Maximoff is in this, as well as Pietro Maximoff. They are two different people for this series, though related. It, along with many other things, will make sense as the story goes, don't worry.
> 
> Thanos does not exist in this because . . . he sucks. The Black Order, however, are still a Threat.

_Xavier’s School for the Gifted_

_Westchester, New York_

_May 1997_

“Mama? _Vati_? May I come in for a moment?”

Elise Lehnsherr looked up at the knock on the door and gave a small smile at the sight of her daughter standing just outside the threshold, fidgeting nervously. Eldrid's natural, two-toned hair was quite messy, red and black curls sticking in every direction, an indicator she'd tossed and turned in her fitful sleep. “Hey baby,” Elise greeted, setting down her lesson plans for next week. She turned to look at her husband, giving him a quick nudge from where he was concentrating on grading t he papers from the test he gave earlier that day.

“Hm?” Erik blinked once as he was brought out of his musings and looked over to the door. “Ah, Ell, come in,” he smiled warmly, removing his glasses. “It’s rather late, is everything alright?”

She shuffled in place for a moment before she came in and sat on the sofa situated between her parents’ desks, heaving a sigh. “I had another dream,” she stated without preamble.

Elise frowned, and shared a concerned look with her husband. “Are you alright?” she asked. “Was it a nightmare?”

Ell shook her head, her brows drawn together as she fiddled with the hem of her pajama top. “No, not really a nightmare . . . well,” she quickly amended. “I mean, it wasn’t really a pleasant dream, but it seemed almost . . .” she trailed off with a groan and released the hem to scrub a hand over her face. “It was strange. It’s like I was reliving a memory, but . . .”

Erik frowned and rubbed a hand over his chin thoughtfully. “But?” he prompted. “What happened in this dream of yours?”

Ell closed her eyes as she recalled the fading dream to mind. “I can’t remember everything, but I definitely remember certain elements. I was feeling heartbroken, humiliation, loss, as if I’d just had something so precious to me ripped away and I couldn’t get it back. I felt angry, determined . . . and so, so afraid. I was standing before a void, fighting someone.”

“Who was it?” Elise asked gently, getting up from her desk to sit beside Ell. She took her hand gently and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “It was . . . I don’t know,” Ell confessed, shrugging. “I can’t recall their face. I do know I was dressed in some sort of dress. It felt light and gauzy, like some sort of hospital gown, but nothing I’ve ever seen before. I was fighting this being, trying so hard to stop them from whatever it was, but there was this bright light, and suddenly, I was falling over the abyss.”

Ell took a deep, shuddering breath. Erik frowned and came to sit on the other side of Ell, gently thumbing away the tears as they began to trail down her cheeks. “I fell, and just kept falling, through nothingness. There was no light, no sound . . . I was so completely and utterly alone. And as I fell, I felt pain, like nothing I’d ever felt before. I could feel myself changing, my bones reshaping and shrinking, my skin pulling in on itself. And my mind, God! My mind, it was like it was being ripped apart and resewn together in some haphazard patch job! The next thing I knew, I was laying in a bed of snow. I couldn’t control my limbs or turn my head the way I wanted it to.”

Ell took a shuddering breath, and opened her eyes to focus on her parents, turning to look at each as she spoke. “That’s when I woke up. It was unlike any other dream I’ve had in the past.” Elise frowned, and brushed a lock of her greying, ginger hair out of her face. “Well, I don’t know about the rest of your dream,” she said, giving Ell a soft smile. “But I do think I can explain the end of it.”

She glanced at Erik as she spoke, shooting her husband a small wink. “While your father was in a cell deep under the Pentagon, I was traveling the world under orders to snuff out some rather . . . _vile_, to say politely, groups of people that had intentions of world domination, or some other sort of bullshit terrorist groups use to fuel their rage and hatred.”

She captured her daughter’s gaze, once more feeling a thrill of amazement shoot through her at her beautiful, strange eyes, one a bright, jade hue, the other black as pitch. “It was during one excursion, somewhere that I am not allowed to speak of, that I was sent to determine whether a newly built factory was housing illegal weaponry or if it really was an automobile assembly shop. It turned out, that it was an assembly shop, but for weapons that would have likely caused a third world war if I hadn’t been there to stop it.”

Elise took a deep breath, the memory of that fateful night flashing through her mind. “It was that night, December 1968, that I found a little baby girl, naked as the day she was born, and all alone, seemingly abandoned in a snowdrift.” Elise smiled softly and gave Ell a loving squeeze of her hand before she continued. “I looked everywhere for any sign that someone had placed you there, footprints or tire tracks, but there was none. It was as if you’d just fallen from the sky and plopped down in a pile of snow.”

“It’s a miracle you hadn’t frozen, or suffered from the cold in any way,” Erik commented, familiar with the story of his middle child. “I couldn’t believe it when I’d read the letter your mother wrote to me surrounding the circumstances of your discovery.”

Ell gave a slight laugh but remained otherwise silent. “It was when I was giving you a warm sponge bath and you looked up and smiled at me, such a happy, loving smile, that I knew I couldn’t give you up to anyone else,” Elise finished retelling the tale, her green eyes holding a soft sadness to them.

“I knew you were a special child and was determined to raise you as my own. When you displayed signs of your abilities far, far sooner than any other child discovers their mutations, I had begun to have my suspicions that perhaps there was more to you than meets the eye. Perhaps these dreams are trying to tell you something.”

“They could be visions of the future,” Erik suggested. “Your abilities are growing stronger every day, perhaps you have a touch of clairvoyance along with your other unique talents?”

“You mean besides turning into some sort of fire-demon?” Ell said skeptically but smiled to soften her words. She let out a sigh, and thought for a moment, before she spoke once more, her words slow and calculated. “I had noticed, ever since the Apocalypse incident—” she place a hand on each of her parents’ shoulders when they both flinched at the battle that took place shortly after the death of her little sister Nina and preceded the birth of Lorna, giving them a semblance of reassurance. “—Ever since then, the dreams have been more frequent, more intense. I’ve also noticed that I should look like I’m nearly thirty. I still look like I’m barely legal to drink.”

Elise frowned, and shared a glance with her husband. “Do you think you’re aging slowly?” she asked after a moment. Ell nodded her head in a short bob. “As in, I don’t think I’m aging at all.” She shook her head, her brows creasing in consternation. “If that’s the case, given everything we know about my abilities, I . . .” She swallowed hard, forcing out the words as they tried to clog her throat. “I don’t think I’m actually human, or mutant.”

Erik frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “You think you’re something else entirely?” he concluded, and Elise sucked in a sharp breath. Ell looked at her father, and nodded her head, unable to speak for a moment.

“But . . .” Elise trailed off slowly, thinking over everything that could possibly indicate otherwise. “Mama,” Ell cut in gently. “True mutants really only have a few mutations, rarely more than that. Dr. McCoy tested my blood a few weeks ago.” She sighed and continued on. “He said he’d never seen anything like my blood. Even my DNA structure is completely different from anything else he’s ever come across, and that includes Auntie Raven’s, considering how she can shape-shift.”

None of them spoke for a moment, the silence dragging on between them as Ell’s words sank in. Finally, Elise cleared her throat. “So . . .” she let out a breath, and shook her head before steeling herself, a firmness to her aging shoulders. “You are still my little Ell, human, mutant, or immortal fiery fiend, regardless of your origins.” Ell couldn’t help but let out a short laugh, the tension in her body easing away at her mother’s words. “Your mother’s right,” Erik spoke up. “We still love you, no matter what you are. No matter _who_ you are,” he emphasized, giving her a slight smile.

Ell smiled at their affirmations, feeling her heart swell with pride and love for her notorious parents. “Still,” her father continued. “If you’d like, perhaps we can ask your Uncle Charles, or even Jean, to look into your mind. Maybe they can find something in your subconscious that can give you clues about where you came from.”

Ell mulled it over carefully, weighing it over before she gave a shrug of her shoulders. “It couldn’t hurt, I guess,” she finally said. “Maybe they’ll find something that can shed some light on my dreams.” Elise smiled, and rose to her feet, her husband and daughter joining her. “We’ll ask in the morning. For now, you should try to get some rest. It’s quite late, and perhaps things will seem a bit brighter in the light of day.”

Ell gave a short nod and hugged her parents before she headed for the door. On her way out, she paused, and glanced back at them. “I do remember something else from my dream,” she said softly.

“What is it?” Erik asked, wrapping an arm around his wife’s shoulders. Ell bit her lip, frowning for a moment. “There was someone else in my dream. I . . . I think it was a man. Just before I fell, I could hear him screaming. I saw a hand reaching for me, but when my fingers brushed his, it was suddenly gone. I think he was trying to help me but was too late.”

Elise and Erik frowned as they thought of their daughter’s dream. “Maybe Charles will be able to put things into perspective for you,” Elise finally said. Ell shrugged once more, running a hand through her short curls. “Hopefully,” she replied, but her tone belied her belief otherwise. “I’ll see you in the morning. G’night Mama, _Vati_. Sleep well.”

Erik and Elise bid her goodnight and listened until they couldn’t hear her quiet footfalls before they turned to each other. “Her dreams are becoming more intense. Do you think Chewy can really help Ell find some semblance of peace?” Elise asked.

Erik quirked a slight smirk at his tiny wife. “You calling Charles your childhood nickname for him is a telltale sign of your worry,” he teased gently, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. “Charles and Jean will do what they can. The fact that she came to us about this dream business after so many years without a hint of her continuing to have them proves Ell’s more afraid than what she wants us to believe.”

“What can we do, darling?” Elise asked after a moment, resting her head on her husband’s chest. Erik’s arms came around to wrap her in his embrace. “Just be there for her,” he replied. “Support her as she needs. Perhaps you can ask that woman to look into her files for anything that might match up with Ell’s abilities or DNA.”

Elise let out a slight huff of laugh. “Senior Agent Carter,” Elise stressed out, looking up at her husband with a smirk. “She’s an old friend of mine Erik, and you know she needs to do her monthly checkups on us. That’s the—”

“—the stipulation imposed on us in order to avoid a lifelong sentence behind bars,” Erik finished, rolling his eyes slightly. “I know, I know. Doesn’t mean I have to like having a human watching us like a hawk,” he grumbled, then let out a slightly startled sound when Elise pinched his rib gently. “Oh, hush,” Elise admonished gently. “You like her.”

“I do not!” Erik huffed, giving a stern glare at his wife. Elise raised a brow slowly and allowed an indulgent smile to cross her features. “Erik darling, if you didn’t like her, or hold a semblance of respect for her, you would have chased her off long ago.,” she said sweetly, patting his chest for emphasis. She stepped out of Erik’s arms and straightened their desk up before she headed for the door. “Besides, you enjoy your little verbal sparring matches with her almost as much your debates with Charles and Hank.” She turned back and gave him a wink. “Now, let’s check in on Lorna and make sure she’s still in bed and not playing in the Danger Room again, and head to our own bed.”

Erik rolled his eyes as he gave into his wife’s command. “Yes, dear,” he said cheekily, giving her a slow, sweet kiss before closing up their shared office for the night.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Alright . . .” I muttered to myself as I entered the prominent building in New York City. “Meet with Stark, say niceties with the rest of the team, get settled, and don’t make a fool of yourself. Easy.” Walking through the glass doors, I slid my sunglasses to perch on top of my short, multi-colored hair, and gathered my bearings. I had to pause in my step as I took in the sight of so many people milling about, flitting here and there in a hurry, cells pressed to their ears. I felt a sudden pang of nostalgia, reminding me of what I’d just left behind hours before. _‘No turning back, Ell,’_ I thought to myself. _‘Pull your big girl panties on and own this!’_

With that, I made my way through the throng of people, narrowly avoiding being run over in the process before I stopped by one of the many receptionists that lined one wall and cleared my throat politely. The receptionist glanced up from her rapid typing, and raised one perfectly manicured, bleached eyebrow as she appraised my form. “Can I help you?” she asked in a bored tone, irritation clear in her mannerisms.

“Yes, I have a meeting with Tony Stark,” I announced. I fought the urge to fidget, feeling a bit out of place, but I refused to let it show. “Name?” the receptionist inquired. I opened my mouth to speak but was interrupted.

“Eldrid Lehnsherr, right?” I spun on my heel to address the newcomer, a tall, strawberry-blonde woman rapidly approaching on impossibly tiny heels that click-clacked on the tiled floor. “Pepper Potts,” she greeted once she’d reached me. “I would like to apologize on behalf of Tony Stark, he’s—” she grimaced slightly as she spoke. “He’s holed up in his lab again with Doctor Banner. I’ll be bringing you up to the top floor, I hope you don’t mind terribly?”

She held out her hand, and I shook it, giving her an amused smile. “Not at all,” I replied. “And please, just Ell.” I took a quick glance around the foyer once more and noted with a small twinge of amusement that the receptionist suddenly saw me in a different light, as if I were important, now that it was clear I was connected to someone of power. “I do feel a bit underdressed standing next to you, but Mr. Stark did say to dress for myself, so . . .” I trailed off, shrugging lightly.

“Oh, it’s alright,” Pepper waved it off, motioning for me to follow her. I strode to keep up with her, trying not to scuff my worn sneakers across the floor as I walked. “Tony’s shown up to more important meetings dressed in yesterday’s dirty t-shirt and jeans than I care to count. You’re perfectly fine.”

Her words put me more at ease about my choice of outfit. I could feel the stares of passersby as they took in the sight of my flowing purple halter top and faded jeans. I brushed the long lock of hair on the left side of my face back out of my black eye and quickened my pace into the elevator behind Pepper.

“JARVIS, can you take us to the lounge, please?” Pepper asked out lout, and I frowned in confusion, glancing around for another passenger. “Of course, Miss Potts,” I heard a British voice reply, and the elevator started up with the smallest jolt. “What the heck?” I muttered, turning to face Pepper. Pepper let out a light laugh. “Sorry, that’s JARVIS. He’s the AI that basically runs this place. He will only answer to the Avengers, myself, and you, now that you’re here.”

I nodded slowly, blinking once. “Um . . . Hi, JARVIS?” I cringed at how I sounded but gave a slight smile when the AI replied. “Welcome to the Avengers Initiative, Demonika.” I gave a snort of laughter and clapped my hand over my mouth. Pepper rolled her eyes at the ceiling. “JARVIS, did Tony tell you to call Ell that?” she asked knowingly, shooting me an apologetic look.

“Indeed, he did, ma’am,” he replied, and I swear he sounded a bit contrite, or at least mildly irritated. “My apologies, but Mister Stark has required it of me to call the various Avengers by their codenames while on the premises.”

I shook my head, shrugging my shoulders. “I never actually picked out an alias, and I’ve been called much worse over the years,” I told them. “It’s fine, really.” Pepper gave a little sigh and shook her head in exasperation. “I swear, Tony is the biggest child on the planet,” she muttered.

I had to laugh, feeling more at ease with each passing moment. “You should meet my big brother Peter. He’s way worse, and not slowing down anytime soon.” I smiled as I thought about his semi-crude jokes and trouble-making ways. “On second thought, maybe not. He’s, unfortunately, got a history of sticky fingers. And he tends to be a bit wild.”

“Oh, that’s right! I meant to ask you,” Pepper said suddenly, turning to face me. “I need to confirm your date of birth for our records.” I gave a slight grimace. “Um . . . we don’t actually know when I was born. My mother found me December of 1968 under circumstances that I’m not technically supposed to know about, so we just celebrate my birthday around the fifteenth.” I blinked when Pepper’s eyes widened. “What?”

“You’re in your late forties?” she asked incredulously as the elevator came to a stop. “Seriously? You look so much younger than that, I thought it was a typo in your file!” She cleared her throat. “I mean, what Professor Xavier sent us was a bit sparse on the details, including about your mutations.”

“Oh, that,” I gave a slightly strained chuckle. “Um, I don’t exactly age . . . not since the mid-eighties.” We stepped out of the elevator as I spoke, and I glanced around the open space that seemed to be a communal room, complete with plush-looking sofas and a large tv dominating one wall. The room was brightly lit from the giant, ceiling-to-floor windows that gave me a perfect view of the city in all its afternoon glory. “Wow,” I breathed out. “This place is huge.”

“This is nothing, wait ‘til you see the rest of the facility,” I heard a voice coming from just to my right. I turned to see a man with short, styled hair and a band shirt striding over. “Tony Stark, welcome to the Avengers,” he greeted without preamble. “So, Demonika, you’re looking completely different than what we expected, but that’s not a bad thing,” he smirked, giving me a quick once-over.

“Tony! Be nice,” Pepper warned, rolling her eyes lightly. “What happened to meeting Ell when she got here?” Tony shrugged, crossing his arms. “Banner and I were playing around with Reindeer Games’ bad mojo. Finally figured out how to track it. Seemed more important at the time,” he said a bit bluntly.

“Tony!” Pepper admonished, and I let out a soft snort. “Yeah, magic does seem more fun,” I agreed slightly. “And it’s fine, Pepper, you’re much more pleasant to talk to, I can tell.” I gave a slight wink at Tony, and he let out a short bark of laugh. “I think we’ll get along fine. Pep, you staying?” he asked her.

Pepper shook her head. “Unfortunately, I need to get back,” she apologized. “Somebody needs to run your company.” She gave him a quick smile and kissed Tony’s cheek. “I should be back late tonight.” She turned to me and gave me a brief smile. “It was nice to meet you, and welcome to the Tower. I think you’ll settle in here pretty quick. I’ll see you around, Ell.”

I smiled and gave her a short wave as she walked back to the elevator. “Nice to meet you,” I called after her. Turning back to Tony, I laced my fingers together in front of me, and let out a breath. “So, what’s first?” I asked him, then gave a slight frown. “And where is everyone else?”

“They’re on their way back from a short mission,” Tony explained, motioning for me to follow him. “It won’t be long before you’re bombarded by the rest of the team. I’ll show you to your rooms, so you know where you’re sleeping.” We headed for a second elevator and rode up to another floor that opened up to reveal a few different closed doors scattered down the hall. “You’ll be holing up with Point Break—” he pointed to the door closest to us. “—and Reindeer Games down there. You’re in-between them, but you’ll basically have to put up with the tall, dark emo guy for the most part. Hammer-Time’s only here part-time,” he explained.

I blinked at his explanation, and shrugged my shoulders when Tony began to ramble on, opening the door to my rooms. “Once you’re settled in, your rooms won’t open for anyone else unless you give JARVIS the go-ahead. There’s a bathroom suite, bedroom, and kitchen and living room.” He pointed out the various rooms for me to explore later, and I nodded my head, keeping up and filing away any questions I had for later. “Your stuff’s in the bedroom, you can unpack whenever you’re ready. We usually do community dinners when we’re all here, so you may have to fight to get food around here unless you keep it in your own kitchen. JARVIS can send in an order for whatever you need, just ask,” Tony continued.

I nodded my head, feeling a little dizzy from the rapid-fire tour of my new rooms. “Doesn’t sound too different from what I’m used to,” I replied. “You’ve got to remember, I spent the last several decades surrounded by dorms, I think I can handle sharing space with these guys.”

Tony opened his mouth to reply, but JARVIS was quick to speak. “I’m sorry to interrupt, sir, but the rest of the team has arrived and will be entering the common floor shortly.”

Tony clapped his hands once, startling me with the sudden motion. “Right, time to meet the rest of the gang. C’mon, Eldrid. What kinda name is that anyway? Were your parents Lord of the Rings fans?”

I followed after him to the elevator, feeling my nerves flare up once again. “Um, they do enjoy the books, and liked the movies, but it’s actually an old Nordic name,” I explained. “My mom adopted me from a European country and loved the name. It means ‘beautiful fire,’ which is kind of ironic.”

The elevator opened up onto the main floor and we stepped out together, Tony cocking a brow. “Ties into your mutation?” he asked.

“Uh, you could call it that,” I hedged. I was saved from explaining further when I noticed the two men and woman spread out across the room, taking up two of the sofas. The three of them fell silent when we appeared. “Guys, this is our new recruit, Demonika,” tony announced, pointing a thumb in my direction. “Demonika, the team.”

“Um, hi,” I greeted awkwardly, giving a little wave. “I’m Eldrid Lehnsherr, but I prefer Ell.” The one I recognized as Captain America stood up and came forward to shake my hand in a firm grip. “Ell, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Steve Rogers. We spoke on the phone a few days ago?”

I gave a slight smile of recognition. “Oh, of course, good to see you face-to-face,” I greeted with sincerity. He seemed fairly nice, if a bit nervous like me. He reminded me a bit of Uncle Charles, with his politeness and easy mannerisms. Gesturing around the room, Steve pointed out the other man and woman, who gave a short greeting as they were introduced. “That’s Clint Barton, and Natasha Romanov. Thor, Bruce and Loki are around here somewhere, I think.”

“Big Green and Reindeer Games were in the lab last I checked, they should be up here in a minute,” Tony said, shrugging.

“So, Ell,” Clint asked from where he was sprawled across a sofa, Natasha’s feet propped on his lap. “Have you ever worked with a team like this before?”

I nodded my head, smiling as I thought of my old friends back home. “Yeah, I was part of the X-Men for a while,” I answered. “Since ’83.”

“Right, you’re from Xavier’s,” Clint said thoughtfully. “Gotta say, when we reached out to offer a position with the team, he seemed a bit closed off on sharing much information about you.”

“Got any secrets you want to share with the rest of the class?” Natasha spoke up. Her gaze was piercing, as if she were trying to analyze me and wasn’t quite sure what to make of me yet. I stifled a smirk and gave a light shrug. “Well, technically I’m classified as a mutant, but to be honest, I’ve never met anyone quite like me before.”

“And why is that?” she raised a brow in slight challenge, and I gave a slight, self-deprecating grin. “Have you met anyone that turns into a fiery creature that doesn’t age and can do magic tricks for shits and giggles?”

“Really?” Tony perked up at that. “Can we see it?” I shook my head quickly. “Not in here,” I replied. “Too many flammable objects. I’d rather not risk it on this floor.”

“So . . . is it true you were involved in the Apocalypse Incident of ’83?” Natasha asked, and Clint cocked his head slightly, as if seeing me in a different light. “Wait, like, the thing that destroyed the City of Cairo, Apocalypse Incident?” he clarified.

I nodded my head once, biting my lip as a pang of sorrow rose up at the memory of those days. I still had nightmares from it, years later. “Yep,” I drew out, popping the ‘p’ at the end. “My first official mission. I was nearly fifteen, then.” I glanced at Steve, who seemed pretty shocked. “You weren’t even fifteen yet?” he said incredulously. “isn’t that a little young to be fighting a war?”

I couldn’t stop myself from rolling my eyes. “Trust me, we all started out as kids,” I stated. “I was the youngest, but one of the more powerful players in basically saving the planet from total annihilation. I can hold my own, don’t worry, Captain.” I smirked a little as his eyes still held concern.

I was saved from trying to reassure him further when I heard voices coming from down the hall. “Ah, here comes the big guns,” Clint chuckled at his joke. I looked over to the entryway to another hallway as two people entered. One was a large—no, oversized—blonde wearing some sort of armor, the other was smaller, with curly brown hair and glasses perched on top of his head.

“I’m just saying, if it’s possible, it might not be a bad idea,” the smaller man was saying. “We’d be able to get ahold of you in case we need you and can’t rely on that Heimdall guy to fetch you.” He glanced over at the rest of us and stopped short at the sight of me. “Oh, sorry, you must be Miss Lehnsherr,” he fumbled with his words briefly. “I’m Bruce Banner. Sorry for not meeting with you earlier, I kinda lost track of time.” He gave a slight, embarrassed smile.

“It’s no big—_oof_!” my reassurance was suddenly cut off when I felt massive arms wrap themselves around me and crush me against a metal-clad chest. “What the fuck?!” I tried to shout, but it was muffled.

“You’re alive!” I felt the shout reverb through my body, and I winced in pain for my poor eardrums. Finally, after what seemed like way too long to be held by a stranger, I was finally allowed to pull back and take a breath.

“Dude, is there some sort of weird greeting you all have I wasn’t informed of?” I snapped, trying to turn to shoot Tony a mild glare. The giant blond held tight to my shoulders so I couldn’t escape his grip. “Hey,” Tony held up his hands. “I have no idea. Why would you even say that, Thor? Is she supposed to show up in a body bag or something?”

“The last I saw you, you had fallen to your death,” the big guy—no, Thor—said gravely. “I had thought you were dead these past years. Where have you been?” he demanded, taking in my features. I frowned in absolute confusion, and internally struggling not to explode, in more ways than one.

“Seriously, I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about. I literally just met you,” I said in a calm tone that belied my irritation. “I don’t know who you think I am, but I don’t know you, and you are in my personal space, so if you don’t mind letting me go?”

“Okay, this is getting weird,” Tony stated. “Thor, Bruce, this is Eldrid, Ell for short, or Demonika, as I’ve officially declared as her codename.” I rolled my eyes at Tony’s words. “Seriously, let go,” I repeated.

“Thor, must you shout about everything?” I heard a smooth, irritated voice. “I do believe they could hear you from the cells of Asgard with your overly loud prattle.”

“Brother!” Thor shouted once more, a laugh booming out. “Look who it is!” The world twirled in a blur before me as Thor spun me by my shoulders once and I found myself stumbling on my feet. Thor released me, and I tripped, unable to catch myself. As I felt myself falling, two strong, cold hands caught me about my arms, and brought me into an upright position. I blinked to keep the world from spinning, and finally focused on the person that saved me from making a complete fool of myself all over the floor.

He was tall, he had at least a foot over me, and was lean. I could feel the strength in his hands and knew that I wasn’t to underestimate him based on his size. His long, black hair was slicked back from his pale, narrow face, and his green eyes were bright and calculating. His lips parted in shock, and I blinked once more, struck by how oddly handsome he was for a moment.

“Um, thanks?” I stuttered out, and mentally slapped myself for my articulate wording. The man took a sharp breath, his eyes widening in surprise. We stood there for a moment, the room silent.

“Uh, Loki? You wanna let Ell go?” Bruce asked after a moment. Loki’s hands tightened briefly over my arms, as if coming to realize that we weren’t alone. He released me in a flash, stepping back a pace without a word, that dumbstruck look still evident on his face.

“Ell? Do you know Thor and Loki?” Steve asked, looking between me and Loki. The others came to crowd around us, various expressions of confusion and suspicion evident among them. I spoke at the same time Loki answered.

“No.”

“Yes.”

Natasha spoke up. “Well, which is it?” she asked, crossing her arms.

I frowned, stepping back. “I’ve never met you two in my life. I’ve seen you on TV, but that’s it.” Loki frowned, his eyes narrowing. “Of course, you know me,” he insisted.

“Why are you calling yourself Ell?” Thor asked, stepping up beside Loki. I crossed my arms, irritation flaring once more. “Because that’s my name. Seriously, what—”

“Your name,” Loki drew out slowly, fury flashing across his features, “Is Sigyn . . . and you, _dearest,_ are my supposedly dead _wife_.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I wrote this instead of sleeping. Forgive me if it seems a little meh.
> 
> For anyone waiting for an update on The Hellion, I apologize for being away from it for so long. I've been dealing with depression and anxiety for a while now. Writing these stories does quite a bit to ease it up, but I've also been trying to find my muse for the other stories I've written/started, which seemed to slip away without notice. Never fear, I am slogging through it slowly but surely, and hopefully will have an update for The Hellion soon.

The room was silent and still as death . . . at least, for all of twelve seconds before I broke out into a loud cackle of laughter. “Okay, okay,” I managed to finally gasp, wiping my green eye free of a tear. “Nice prank, really funny.”

“I assure you, Sigyn, this is not a joke,” Thor said gravely, his face void of amusement. Loki just seemed . . . I wasn’t quite sure, angry, confused? I thought I saw a quick flash of hurt before it was gone, his eyes turning flinty and cold.

“Wait, so, what?” Steve spoke up, placing a hand on my shoulder. “She looks like your dead wife?”

“I didn’t know you were married,” Natasha commented, cocking a slim brow at Loki as she glanced between him and Thor.

“Not many were privy to that information,” Loki said stiffly, eyes never leaving my face. I frowned, tilting my head slightly. “Seriously?” I scoffed. “I’ve never met you before, and I’ve most certainly never gotten married to a complete stranger.”

Loki’s glare deepened, and he took a step closer. He opened his mouth, no doubt to once again insist that I was married to him, when I stuck my hand up in his face. Ridges began to trace along the skin of my hand up to mid-forearm, flames licking along the designs as my natural coloring melted away from ivory tones to a deep, sunset orange. My blunt, unpainted nails sharpened into black claws, long and rather sharp, as past experience has taught me.

Loki’s eyes widened, and he paused in his steps, raising his hands slightly in a placating manner. I saw movement out of the corner of my eyes as the rest of the team jumped back, no doubt out of fear of burning. “I do not appreciate people getting in my personal space,” I said, more calmly than I felt. “Especially people I don’t know. I am sorry that you lost your wife, I cannot imagine how that feels. But I assure you, I am not her. I am Eldrid Lehnsherr, not Sigyn.”

Once I was sure that it sunk in, I allowed the flames to die away, and my arm and hand returned to their natural state. Loki slowly lowered his arms, his brows furrowed. Thor’s mouth was agape, and I was certain everyone else held similar reactions, and I let out a slow breath.

“You really are not Sigyn, are you?” Thor finally asked after a moment. I shook my head. “Again, I’m sorry for your loss, but I’m really not Sigyn.” Thor nodded his head once, seeming crestfallen. Loki, on the other-hand, seemed to be carved from marble, face impassive. Without another word, he spun on his heel and strode from the room.

“Well . . . now I definitely want to see your powers in full,” Stark said after a moment. I blinked, having forgotten about the others for a moment. I cleared my throat, feeling a bit self-conscious. “Sorry, I usually don’t display that side of me,” I said sheepishly, shrugging my shoulders in a half-hearted manner.

Natasha cocked her head at me slightly, glancing between me and Thor, who was looking down the hallway his brother had just disappeared to. “That was a rather interesting exchange,” she commented.

Thor’s attention returned to her, and I felt a slight pang of guilt at the sorrow that seemed to resonate within. “Sigyn was . . .” he let out a sigh, shaking his head. “She was something truly amazing, and of good heart and mind. But we never saw her for how wonderful she was until she was gone.” He cleared his throat. “However, it’s not my place to speak of her.” He turned to me and bowed low. “I apologize, on my brother’s behalf, and myself. Loki took her loss deeper than anyone imagined, myself as well, I’m ashamed to say. You are an absolute spitting image of her; I’m sure you can understand the shock we felt upon meeting you.”

I blinked in surprise, glancing at the others for an indication on how to continue. They all seemed as out of the water as me. After a moment, I cleared my throat. “It’s uh, it’s alright, I guess,” I stammered. “I mean, If I’d seen someone that I was certain was dead, I’d probably shit a brick.” I shrugged, and Thor righted himself.

Before anyone else had a chance to speak, the faint strains of the _X-Files _theme song buzzed from my back-pocket. I could feel my face heat up as everyone’s attention was drawn to the noise. “That would be the professor,” I explained. “He’s kinda keeping an eye on me from a distance.”

Steve cleared his throat. “Right,” he said, scratching the back of his head. “we’ll just hang out here for a moment, if you wanted some privacy—” he gestured to the kitchen. I nodded my head gratefully and made a quick excuse before scurrying off to answer the professor’s call. I could hear everyone begin to bombard Thor with questions the second I was out of sight and shook my head before I opened the call. “Hi, Uncle.”

“Eldrid, are you alright?” Xavier asked in way of greeting. I sighed, scrubbing a hand over my face as I leaned against the wall. _'He never calls me Ell,'_ I thought fondly, before he continued. “I can feel your emotions fluctuating from here.”

I let out a breath. “Well, things were pretty smooth sailing until moments ago,” I replied, looking up at the ceiling. “Everyone’s been pretty welcoming, but . . .” I trailed off, unsure how to answer. “The two Asgardians, Thor and Loki, were pretty convinced that I was Loki’s dead wife. Pretty damned adamant about it, actually.”

The line was silent for a moment, and I frowned. “Uncle?” I prompted. “Are you there?”

“Yes,” he answered immediately. “My apologies, Eldrid, I was a bit shocked. Can you tell me exactly what happened?”

I recounted the entire exchange carefully, turning the last few moments over in my mind carefully. Xavier was quiet, listening as I spoke, before he gave a soft hum. “And what do you think, Eldrid?”

I gave a soft snort. “That it’s an uncanny coincidence,” I said immediately. “I mean, I’ve never even met these to before. And even if I had, you’d have found something to indicate otherwise, or Jean would have told me when you dived into my head before.”

Xavier gave a deep sigh, and I furrowed my brows. “Right?” I prompted. The line fell silent once more, and I grew concerned. “Uncle? You haven’t kept anything from me, have you?” I asked slowly, worry and anger slowly tinging my words.

“When we explored your dreams back in 1997,” Xavier started. “There were many blank spaces, and blurred images. Jean and I both tried to look deeper, to bring these into focus. As we began to pull these dreams forward, your body started to seize, the shock of these dreams being forcefully brought into the light was too much, and we didn’t dare try to continue.”

I bit my lip, remembering bits and pieces of the incident. I vaguely recalled waking in the infirmary, of my Uncle explaining to me that there was a problem when he and Jean were looking into my head. I had never thought much of it after that, since my dreams had seemingly died off after that. I had figured it was just something they had done to suppress them so I'd be able to rest peacefully. _'Apparently not,'_ I thought grimly. “Did you manage to see anything?” I finally asked, almost afraid of the answer.

Xavier heaved out a heavy sigh. “We managed to see something,” he admitted. “There was a man, clad in green, gold and black armor, with a rather elaborate helmet, shaped—”

“Like horns,” I breathed out, finishing his sentence. “What else?” I asked quickly. “Do you think it’s . . . you know, him?” I was unable to speak the name, feeling a flash of guilt and tension roiling through my stomach.

“In this brief image we saw,” Xavier continued. “You were holding your palms up, and purple flames were dancing upon your fingertips. He seemed proud of you, watching your performance.” He paused, and I held my breath in anticipation. “Eldrid, I do think that it was Loki. I believe that these dreams you’ve been having are memories of a past life.”

Vaguely, I realized I dropped my cell to the floor with a clatter, a hand clapped over my mouth to prevent myself from hyperventilating, the other wrapped around my stomach. My mind swirled with the new information, barely able to keep up with itself as millions of jagged pieces of thought floated through my head.

I felt myself tipping forward as I was hit by a wave of vertigo, when cold hands suddenly gripped my arms, catching me before I could crash to the floor. I blinked dazedly up into the face of my savior and choked back a sob when I looked into the pale face of Loki. _‘When did he get here?’_ I wondered briefly. His expression was impassive, cold, even. His eyes, however, his eyes flashed with a sliver of concern.

“Do you truly not understand the laws of gravity or are you always this clumsy?” he asked in an irritated note, though he didn’t relinquish his hold. I opened my mouth without thinking.

“Uncle Charles thinks I’m your dead wife, too.” My eyes widened in disbelief at my lack of filter, and I couldn’t help but facepalm, groaning. “I mean, he and a friend of mine tried sifting through my dreams, and he think that you’re in them.” I grimaced, shaking my head. “Damn, this is a helluvalot more awkward than I thought this conversation should be.”

Loki was silent, and he blinked once. Twice. Suddenly, I heard Xavier’s voice from the phone, and it snapped us out of the moment. Loki released my arms once more, and I lunged for my phone, scrambling to answer him. “Sorry Uncle, I dropped the phone,” I said quickly. “Would you repeat that?”

“Please put the phone on speaker so I may speak with Loki as well, please,” Xavier said patiently. I bit my lip, glancing at Loki. _‘Damn, how does he do that?’_ I thought rhetorically of my uncle. Loki watched me with his brows drawn tight. I couldn’t tell if he was angry, or if that was a spark of hope I saw in him. I hit the speaker button and held it between us. “Okay, go ahead,” I told Xavier.

“Loki, my name is Charles Xavier. Eldrid has informed me of what just passed between you both and your brother. I understand that you believe that Eldrid is your deceased wife; would you please tell me something about your wife Sigyn’s physical appearance that no one else would know about?”

Loki frowned at my phone, and I held it a little closer to my chest in an effort to protect it from the glare he sent it. Obviously, he didn’t like being told what to do. He turned his gaze to mine, eyes sharp with a twist of mischief shining through. “You have a small birthmark on the inside of your right thigh, high up near your pelvis,” Loki said lowly, stepping closer to me. I backed up slowly for each step he took forward, until my back collided with the wall.

Loki continued to advance slowly, speaking as he did so. “Your upper back is extremely sensitive, and your magic flares purple whenever you concentrate enough energy into it. This has always left you a bit weak, and rather . . .” he leaned in, caging me in with one hand on either side of me, and I couldn’t help but inhale his scent, an enticing mix of wintermint and frost. “_Amorous,_ in your affections afterward.” He chuckled lowly, and my eyes widened as he leaned in closer, his nose gently tracing the skin of my throat. “Tell me, do you still have those delightful ridges that run over every inch of your skin? So sensitive to the touch?”

I swallowed hard, my breath caught in my throat. No one knew about the extent of how far the ridges went, whenever I transformed, nor just how damned sensitive they were when I ran my fingers over them, or my upper back, for that matter. My mother was the only one that knew about the birthmark, she’d changed my diapers, after all. And I absolutely refused to allow myself stay around longer than necessary whenever I used magic. I let the others believe that it was because it drained me and I felt tired, but I didn’t want anyone to realize that it had a slightly, _different_, reaction to certain regions on my body.

“H-how did you—” I stammered, letting out a shaky breath. I felt Loki chuckle, his lips barely ghosting over my neck. “Because, _Sigyn_,” Loki whispered. “I’ve known you for over a thousand years, and _quite _intimately.” I felt his tongue barely touch my heated flesh, the cold sending a pleasant shock through my system, and I had to bite back a whimper, my eyes closing of their own accord.

“Eldrid?” I heard Xavier’s voice call out from the phone, and I jumped, having forgotten he was on speaker. My yes snapped back open, and I cleared my throat; Loki backed off minutely, just enough to trace my face with his eyes as he chuckled. _‘Perverted fucker,’_ I thought with slight irritation. “Is that all correct?” Xavier asked.

I let out a breath, unable to meet Loki’s gaze. I settled for staring down at my shoes, scuffing them on the floor lightly. “Yes . . . everything he’s said is true.” Loki huffed out a slight breath, and I chanced a glance at him just in time to catch an eye-roll, a smug grin stretching across his lips. “Of course, it’s all true. No one knows your body better than I.” He shot me a salacious wink, his eyes twinkling with amusement. _‘Oh, he is enjoying this far too much,’_ I thought.

I narrowed my eyes at him in warning. “You’re about three seconds from getting a slap with my fist,” I growled, feeling irritation flaring once more at his rather cavalier attitude about this. “Right in your pretty-boy face.”

Loki’s smirk seemed to grow wider. “So, you do think I’m appealing?” he asked smugly. I growled low, the sound far too animalistic to have come from a normal woman’s throat, feeling my fangs elongate in my displeasure.

Xavier was quick to intervene before I could give into my instincts and bite him, _hard._ “Eldrid, given these recent revelations, I think perhaps Loki and Thor may be able to unlock your memories of your past life. It may be best to work with them on bridging the gap between your old life and your current.”

My mouth dropped open in disbelief. “Are you fucking kidding me?!” I shrieked. Loki began to laugh, a deep, rich sound that might be pleasing to listen to if I wasn’t so angry.

“No, Eldrid, I’m not,” Xavier said calmly, as if I weren’t in the middle of some existential crisis. “I will inform your parents of these revelations later on this evening. You should expect to hear from them soon. Loki, I must ask that I receive reports on your progress with each other. Do keep them appropriate, please,” he added, and I felt my face flame at his droll tone.

Loki chuckled, a slightly dark tone to it. “Of course, Professor Xavier,” he practically purred. “You shall be updated accordingly.” I gave a huff, trying to intervene. “Now wait a minute—”

“Thank you, Loki,” Xavier replied pleasantly. “Eldrid, I wish you luck, and will speak with you again next week.” With that, he hung up, and I was left staring at the phone in my hand, mouth agape. I felt Loki gently place a finger under my chin and snap my mouth closed.

“Now, my dear, dear wife,” Loki crooned, looking every inch like the cat that got the cream as he placed his hands behind his back. “Where do we begin? Shall we move your belongings to my quarters now, or later?”

I narrowed my eyes at him, crossing my arms with a huff. “I am _so_ not sleeping with you,” I hissed. “And _stop_ calling me your _wife_. We are not married.” With that, I pocketed my phone and stalked from the kitchen to inform my new teammates these bizarre revelations that I barely comprehended. Gritting my teeth, I ignored Loki’s mocking laughter as he trailed after me. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, dearest."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Charles, Loki, you little shits.
> 
> I am blown away by the responses that this has gotten, and that does help to know that people are interested in this story. Thanks guys <3  
I've always loved Loki, in the comics, MCU and Norse legends, and I've always wondered why the hell Sigyn wasn't in the MCU. Not much is really known about her in Mythos, so this is my own unique take on her, hence why this is labeled as a Loki/OFC fanfic and not Loki/Sigyn.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, got a bit carried away with this chapter! 4000+ words!!

_“Mama? Where are we going?” I asked in a whisper, my tiny hand clasped in hers as we hurried through the fiery landscape. The night was still brightly lit from the pockets of volcanic geysers that spewed their smoke and lava upwards towards the sky, making it difficult to hide in the little darkness we were running within._

_“It’s alright, little one,” mama soothed, stopping long enough to tug the hood of my cloak tighter around my head. “I’m taking you to the safest place in the realms. He won’t hurt you again, I swear it.”_

_I nodded my head slowly as I looked into her pale face, my lower lip quivering as I tried to keep from crying. My free arm was still sore, despite what mama did to heal the worst of the broken bones. The bruises on my body ached with faint memory from days before, and the other times before that._

_Mama smiled, pressing a quick kiss to my temple, and I gasped, feeling her magic touch wash over me. Suddenly, I felt the fear threatening to bubble over evaporating until it slipped into a small corner of my mind, a sense of calm and peace washing over me. “My brave girl,” Mama whispered against my forehead. “No matter what happens, no matter where you go, know that I will always love you.”_

_Suddenly, a screech came from behind us, at a distance, but still quite loud. I gasped, turning to see what caused it, but Mama scooped me up into her arms before I could look and ran as fast as she could. I buried my face in her shoulder, clinging tightly to her cloak as it flapped in the breeze. “Mama, what is it?” I whimpered._

_“Do not look, child, do not look!” Mama began to climb, grunting with the effort as she made her way up a craggy cliff. The pathway was narrow, and I could feel her stumble as she tried to keep her footing. I could hear the cry of the creature behind us, further away thankfully, and I dared to peek over mama’s shoulder. I could see the faint silhouette of an enormous dragon through the geysers searching the ground for us, his huge head lowered to the ground as it tried to sniff us out._

_I shuddered as I watched it lift its head and let out one finally, mighty roar before it soared off in another direction, great wings unfurling with a loud snap. As it disappeared into the darkness of the night, Mama slowed her pace, coming up to the mouth of a small cave I’d never noticed before. Once we were inside, mama finally stopped and leaned back against a wall, panting for breath. “Alright, it’s alright now,” she huffed out, patting a hand against my back. I sniffled, and slowly glanced up at her, my eyes wide. “Are we safe now, mama?” I whispered loudly._

_Mama gave a slight chuckle, and once more lowered me to the ground. “For now, my sweet,” she answered vaguely. “We still have a bit of a ways to go, but there is one thing you must do before we continue the journey.” She placed a hand upon my hair, and I gasped, feeling a shiver snake its way over my skin. It felt odd, yet natural._

_After a moment, mama knelt down and cupped my face in her hands. “Many will not receive you kindly if you look as you always have,” she whispered. “You must blend in, for your safety. Only a select few will know who you truly are. No one can find out, or they will shun you, or hurt you. Do you understand what I am asking of you?”_

_I swallowed, and nodded my head, my hands coming up to rest on mama’s hands. “Don’t let anyone know who I am,” I repeated. I glanced at my hands and blinked in surprise. “Mama, I’m all pale!” I gasped, patting my skin in amazement. The bruises were more prominent, and I winced when I pinched them. “They look all funny,” I frowned, making a face. “Will I always look funny?”_

_Mama let out a slight laugh. “You look like me now,” she corrected, her green eyes twinkling with amusement. “Though you still retain your own, uniquely mismatched hair and eyes.” She took one of my hands in hers and placed a gentle kiss to the top of it. “Now, we must hurry, before we are found.”_

_The cave was dark, and the further we went, the darker it became, until it was so dark, I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. I clung tighter to mama, unused to the lack of night vision. “Mama, I can’t see you,” I whispered, stumbling over a loose rock._

_Mama held my hand tighter, giving it a slight squeeze as a pale light flickered to light in the palm of her hand. My eyes widened, and I gasped. “It’s pretty,” I whispered, and I heard mama chuckle. “We are nearly there, I promise.”_

_But the cave seemed to continue on forever, and my bare feet, unused to such tough terrain in this new form, quickly became sore and painful. Mama ended up carrying me, one arm supporting my bum as I held tightly to the cloak on her shoulder, the other arm outstretched as it carried the glowing orb._

_After walking for quite a ways longer, I could see a faint opening, moonlight streaming through in pale beams. Mama waved the hand holding the orb, and it disappeared without a trace. Once we’d cleared the cave, Mama let me down once more, and I gasped, feeling something tickling my feet._

_“It’s alright, Sweetling, it’s just grass,” mama explained softly. “It is a harmless plant that grows here in abundance. It is quite soft, and many of the creatures here will nibble upon it for nourishment.” I frowned, stepping from one foot to the other, unsure about this new thing I was feeling touch my feet. I was used to hard, blackened earth, and the glazed over rocky surfaces of our home._

_I swallowed lightly, realizing that we weren’t anywhere familiar. I heard movement up ahead, and I froze in place. Something snorted, and I jumped, letting out a squeak as I scurried to hide behind mama, clutching her cloak tightly in my tiny fists._

_“Lady Sigrid,” a gruff voice called out. “Were you undetected? Have you brought the child?”_

_“I have, Allfather, and no one followed us; the pass remains secret,” mama replied, giving a deep bow. “There is not enough thanks in the world, nothing I can possibly do to repay this debt to you—”_

_“Sigrid, please,” another voice called out, softer, gentler in tone. I heard something shifting, and I buried my face into mama’s side, the fear I felt earlier returning with a vengeance. “You have nothing to repay, my old friend. Please, rise.”_

_I felt mama straighten up, and she placed a gentle but firm hand on my back, guiding me forward. I blinked my eyes and looked up at the woman that stopped before me. She was tall, and I craned my neck to look up at her face. She was pretty, with golden hair like mama, and she seemed nice, smiling warmly at me._

_“Hello, little one,” she cooed gently, leaning down so she was level with me. I felt nervous, and I bit my lip, turning my face to hide against mama’s leg. “Apologies, Allmother,” mama cleared her throat and placed a soothing hand on my head. “She is shy by nature, and unused to kindness, save from myself.”_

_“It’s quite alright, Sigrid, you have nothing to apologize for,” the woman replied. “She will be safe here, I promise you.” I dared to peek at the woman, her smile never wavering. I looked past her, and saw more people a way away, all dressed in some sort of armor. There was a man standing beside some sort of beast, black as night, with so many legs. The man’s hair greying, and a stern expression rested upon his face. I felt a shiver run through me as I glanced over his pale eye, and the shiny patch that guarded the other. In one hand, he held the reigns that were attached to the beast, which snorted and shook its mane._

_His expression softened slightly, and he lifted a hand, waving gently. “Come here, child,” he called softly. “You have nothing to fear from us.”_

_I glanced up at mama, who knelt down in front of me. “These people, the Allfather and Allmother, will protect you. They will not allow him to take you back, I swear it.” I frowned, and tugged on her cloak, feeling insecure, afraid, and shy all at once. I couldn’t speak for the lump that formed in my throat. Mama’s eyes were sad, and I could feel tears form as her own began to trace clear, sparkling lines down her cheek._

_“This is where I must say goodbye, my little light,” she whispered, wrapping me in a tight embrace. “I cannot come with you, for he will know where you are, and will bring his wrath upon us all. It is the only way to keep you safe.” I felt my lip tremble once more, and I buried my face in her shoulder, clinging to her like a lifeline. “I love you, with all my heart. I will see you again, my sweet, I swear it,” mama whispered against my hair._

_I sniffled but nodded my head slowly. I didn’t want to let go, but mama carefully extracted her arms from around me, and turned me to face the woman, who watched us with saddened eyes. She held out her hand for me to take, and I felt mama nudge me forward. Slowly, unsure of what to make of these people, I stepped closer to the woman, and took her hand with tiny, trembling fingers._

_The woman clasped my hand gently in hers, stood up fully before addressing mama. “Are you certain of this?” she asked mama. “We can protect you both, you only need—”_

_“I cannot,” Mama said, shaking her head despondently. “Regardless of how he treats me, how he treats her, I have made my vows, my oaths, and cannot break them. You know of the old magic.” The woman that held my hand said nothing, but I felt that she wanted to do something. I didn’t know what they were talking about, but I was too afraid and too nervous to speak, so I held my tongue._

_“Please, look after my little light,” Mama whispered once more. “Teach her what you can, look after her, keep her safe.”_

_“I swear it by the Norns,” the woman vowed, giving her one last nod. She looked down to me and gave me a kind smile. “Come along, little one,” she said softly. “Let us return to the palace, and I shall get you something to eat. You must be hungry, yes?”_

_I gave a slight shrug, still not wishing to speak, and slowly followed behind her as she headed back towards the group of people in shiny armor and the man with the eyepatch and spear. As she led me away, I turned to face mama, walking backwards in order to keep her in my line of sight._

_I saw her bury her face in her hands for a moment, her shoulders shaking with grief before she turned and fled back into the cave. I gave another sniffle, and scrubbed at my eyes before I turned around, staring at my feet._

_We stopped before the man and the funny-looking beast, and I dared to glance up at him. “It will be alright, child,” the man said in a careful voice. “You have nothing to fear from us.” He patted the beast’s neck, before he helped Frigga up onto it. Once she was steady, he held a hand out to me. “Come, you will ride with the Queen and I. Sleipnr has a gentle gait and will not jostle you around so.”_

_I came closer, and he carefully picked me up around the waist and set me on the queen’s lap. She held me gently, and I watched as the man lifted himself onto Sleipnr with ease. He took the spear from one of the men in shiny armor and leaned around to grasp the reigns in his other hand, making sure to keep the woman and I secure._

_With an order to the men around us, he started to lead us down the trail, away from the cave. I turned to lean around the man and woman, hoping to get one last glimpse of mama. I stared, hoping she’d come back to me, until the cave finally vanished out of sight._

_*****************_

I sucked in a breath harshly, sitting up in bed as I blinked the sleep from my eyes. I my breath out shakily and brought a hand up to my face. I frowned when I felt wetness, and realized I was crying in my sleep. “Damn,” I whispered, shaking my head. I scrubbed my hand over my face, wiping away the tears before I threw back the covers. Evidently, I was not going to get any more sleep that night. I grabbed my phone and checked to see the time, groaning when I realized it was early morning, a little after three, to be precise.

Straightening the thin, cotton sleep-vest and loose pants I slept in, I decided to watch some tv. I padded out of my room and to the living room, flopping down on the couch. “Trouble sleeping?” I heard a cool voice ask, and I rolled my eyes, turning to glare at Loki on the other end of the couch. “Are you in the habit of creeping around women as they sleep?” I asked a bit smarmily. Loki shot me a lecherous grin. “Most women aren’t in the habit of . . . sleeping, when I am around their chambers.”

Ever since we announced to the rest of the team earlier that evening that I was, in fact, some sort of weird, cosmic reincarnation of Loki’s dead wife, he’d barely let me out of his sight. After the initial confusion and shock (“Yes, apparently, I was his wife in a past life, Captain.” “No, Clint, I don’t remember anything. Just weird dreams I’ve had since I was a kid.” “Tony, I realize that that was a joke, but I will not hesitate to punch you if you ask me about moving into Loki’s rooms again.” “No, Natasha, he hasn’t pulled any mind tricks on me. Yes, I’m positive; Uncle Charles taught me how to block out intruders.”) and a bone-crushing hug from Thor, things seemed to calm down a bit.

We’d eaten take-out, no one really wanting to actually prepare a full-scale meal so late in the afternoon, and I’d gotten to know a little more about the team-dynamics and shared some of my experiences as a former X-woman. I told them a little bit about my parents, what it was like growing up under their influence and tutelage, and about the shenanigans my brothers and sisters got into. I supposed the one, true blessing was that they hadn’t called me yet with threats—correction, _promises_—of coming down and kicking ass for their little girl.

I’d been promised a few days to settle in, on the condition that I demonstrated some of my abilities the next afternoon. I agreed, pointedly ignoring Loki when he chimed in that he wanted to begin working on my previous memories as soon as possible. Thor was quick to agree, but Bruce—my hero—saved me by explaining that perhaps it would be best if it were done tomorrow night, when I was preparing to sleep.

“If these are dreams of a past life,” he had said, cleaning his classes of nonexistent smudges, “then perhaps it’s best to check them out when you’re about to enter a REM cycle. They may come naturally, who knows.” I gave it a moment of thought, before I nodded my head in agreement.

Loki, however, wasn’t too pleased when I’d closed the door in his face that night when I decided to head for my new bed, bluntly telling him that I wasn’t really in the mood to deal with him yet. It was true, I had a headache from the information overload, and didn’t want to deal with whatever the hell that was between us in the kitchen earlier that night.

Apparently, that didn’t stop him from showing up unannounced in my living room like a creeper, sitting on the opposite end of the couch. “I thought no one was supposed to be in here without my approval?” I asked with a sigh.

Loki cocked a slim brow at me. “As if Stark’s trivial technology could keep me out of wherever I want to be,” he sniffed. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. “Why are you here?” I asked him bluntly.

“Curiosity,” Loki said, and I blinked. “I am intrigued by you. You look like Sigyn, you act and sound like Sigyn, yet you claim that you are not. Tell me, these dreams you have, what are they like? Do you have them often?”

I pulled my feet up to tuck them underneath me, crossing my arms. I watched him for a moment, unsure whether to trust him or not. _‘Uncle did say that he may be the key to unlocking these dreams, what’s it gonna hurt?’_ a little voice in my head asked. “I’ve had these dreams for as long as I can remember,” I said finally. Loki straightened, giving me his already undivided attention.

“When I was a child, I used to dream of the strangest things. Most of them were too blurry to really make sense of, but sometimes, I’d get clear pictures of far away places, of people I’ve never met before. Sometimes, I could actually hear sounds, or snatches of conversations about things that I didn’t understand. I always figured it was an overactive imagination.” I gave a shrug, trying to find the words to explain what I wanted to say.

“Back in ’97, Uncle Charles and one of my closest friends, Jean Grey, attempted to figure out why I was having these dreams. Something went wrong, and I ended up in the infirmary. The dreams stopped after that, but . . .”

Loki leaned forward, his intense gaze focused on me. “You had a dream tonight,” he stated, and I nodded my head. “You’ve been crying. Was it a nightmare?” his voice was surprisingly soft, gentle, and I felt myself relaxing a bit, my arms uncrossing to rest on my lap.

“No, not a nightmare,” I said, shaking my head. “Tonight’s the first time I’ve had the dreams in nearly 20 years, and never in such clarity, like I was reliving this . . . memory, I guess. I mean, I could smell the sulfur, feel the heat of the air and grass under my feet.”

“And this dream, what was it about?” Loki prompted, taking one of my hands in his slowly, as if approaching a wild animal. I allowed it, watching him cautiously as he began to rub soothing circles into the skin of my hand.

“I think . . . I think I dreamed of my—I mean, Sigyn’s—mother,” I corrected myself. I refused to see myself as this other woman, despite the dreams and physical resemblances we apparently shared. I was my own person dammit, I was not going to accept it unless it was proven otherwise. Loki’s eyes narrowed slightly at my slip-up, but inclined his head for me to continue, never stopping his soothing motions.

“We were running from something, a dragon, I think. We came across this cave and walked for such a long time. As we were walking, she did something to me, made me look like her.”

Loki frowned, his eyebrows crinkling slightly. “In your past life, you were not fully Aesir,” he said slowly. “Very few were aware of that fact. Your mother was a minor Goddess of Victory, Sig—”

“Sigrid,” I whispered, and he dipped his head in affirmation. “She left Asgard a century before I was born. Where she went, I did not know the time. My mother was great friends with her, and used to tell us stories of their childhood together,” Loki explained.

I shrugged half-heartedly. “When we got through the other side of the cave, there was a new land, something I had never seen before. There were people waiting for us, a man with a spear and an eye-patch, and a woman with golden hair. Sigrid told me to go with them, that I was no longer safe with her. The man and woman put me on the back of this . . . thing with eight legs, and we left the cave. Sigrid went back into the cave, and I lost sight of her after that.” I let out a sigh, shaking my head. “I woke up after that, feeling so . . .” I trailed off.

“You were upset,” Loki noted, and I tilted my head. “Yeah . . . I remember in my dream that I felt so scared, and sad. I couldn’t bring myself to say anything, I was too nervous of these strangers. They were kind, though, that I do remember.”

Loki was silent for a moment before he spoke. “These strangers in your dream, they were my mother, Queen Frigga, Allmother of the Nine Realms, and Odin, King of Asgard, and Allfather of the Nine Realms. The beast with eight legs is Sleipnr, the Allfather's choice of steed, and a great and powerful horse.” I frowned, noting that he deliberately didn’t mention Odin as his father, but decided not to press it.

“So, in this . . . past life, I—I mean, _Sigyn_—was taken away to stay with the rulers of Asgard for her safety?” I asked curiously. “Yes, “Loki replied immediately. “Though we did not meet until weeks later, purely by chance, and Thor and I did not learn of your heritage until a later date.”

My brows furrowed. “How is that possible?” I asked, and quickly covered my mouth to hide a yawn. Loki’s lips twitched with amusement. “That is something we will discuss tomorrow night. For now, it’s best to try to get some rest. It is still quite early, and you will have a long day ahead of you.”

I wanted to argue, mostly for the sake of disagreeing with him, but I knew he was right. I made to stand, and Loki reluctantly released my other hand, trailing his cool fingers along my fingertips as he did so. “Alright, I’m going back to bed. And you, mister Chaos,” I pointed at him. “Are to return to your own rooms. No more showing up uninvited into my space.” I crossed my arms. “IF we were married in a past life, that’s just it, the past. I don’t really know you and would deeply appreciate that you respect my privacy in this life and not popping up in my living room.”

Loki frowned, standing as well. I’d nearly forgotten just how tall he was until he stepped closer into my space, and I made to back up a pace. Loki’s hand shot out, and gently caught my chin in his hand, one long finger caressing my neck in a nearly sensual motion. “As you wish, Eldrid,” he said after a moment.

“I will respect your space and allow you the freedom you crave within the walls of your chamber.” He finally released my chin, and I let out a slightly shaky breath as his fingers danced down the column of my throat. It was a quick, fleeting touch, and I bit back a moan when he removed all contact. Clasping his hands behind his back, he took one pace back, so I had a bit of breathing room.

“However, outside of these walls is a different matter.” My jaw dropped at the smartass grin that stretched across his lips, the devious look in his eyes a dead giveaway that I was in for some shit. Before I could say a word, he vanished with the slightest shimmer of green smoke.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! Super-Long Chapter for y'all, over 6500 words~ Can't promise all the chapters will be this long; I honestly didn't know how to stop this chapter, so if it seems like it kinda ended in a strange spot, apologies.
> 
> If i don't update before the New Years, Happy Holidays, regardless of your religious beliefs~

“Alright Ell, we’ll be doing readings as you display your abilities, so whenever you’re ready, fire it up.”

I rolled my eyes at Stark’s joke over the intercom but chose not to say anything. I’d finally managed to get some sleep early this morning and spent some time once I’d felt refreshed from the previous night to get to know my teammates better. Apparently, Stark was a night-owl, and tended to stay up for days at a time before he crashed; this was one of those times.

I glanced up at the viewing glass and gave a short nod to Stark in acknowledgement. I stood in the middle of a modified gym that had been “super-proofed,” as Clint joked, in order to train with Thor, Loki, and the Hulk, on occasion. The whole team stood assembled behind the viewer, so they could track my abilities.

I took a deep breath, and focused on that raw, smoldering power deep within myself. I felt my skin begin to tingle, and I was glad that I’d packed my suit from my former X-men days with me. The loose top and yoga pants I wore lit up and fell away from my body, leaving behind the cropped, black halter-top and low-riding, skin-tight trousers that encased my legs. My bare feet left scorch marks on the mat, and I grimaced slightly at the damage I’d caused. My arms were bare, and I knew that the ridges Loki had mentioned yesterday stood in prominence.

My senses were increased in this form, and I grinned at the shocked murmurs that came from the avengers. “This isn’t even my final form,” I joked, before I closed my eyes and focused on my true skin. I stretched my arms high over my head and felt the tell-tale _‘pop’_ as my wings suddenly unfurled and grew out, shuddering as they stretched out. I let out a sigh, feeling the muscles quiver and twitch after being suppressed for so long. I felt m tail elongate, curling around to rest along my right leg.

I opened my eyes, and stood at rest, my arms coming to rest on my lower back. My feet braced themselves on the floor before I pushed up, taking flight. “Holy shit,” I heard Clint say in disbelief. “A real, goddammed demon!”

“Language,” Steve whispered, and I grinned, feeling elation flow through me as I twirled in the air. My tail whipped back and forth, and I brushed my hair out of my eye, mindful of my black, sensitive horns that curved back over my head.

“This,” I said, my voice gravely and lower in this form. “This is what Charles Xavier didn’t mention in my files. I am a major force to be reckoned with. Fire and heat don’t affect me and use both as my choice of defense and offense.”

“And the magic?” Natasha asked, her face carefully blank. I smirked, able to see the minute details that gave away that she was nervous. “I prefer not to use it, because I get weakened easily from displaying it too much. It’s usually the last resort. While in this form, I may burn someone to the bone just by touch, so I wouldn’t recommend getting too close.”

Turning to face the dummies lined up on the far wall, I raised my hand, and shot out small, flaming projectiles at them in rapid succession. The dummies erupted in smoldering chunks of foam, metal and plastic. With a twist of my fingers, the flames gathered and grew into a serpentine form, mouth opening wide to reveal white-hot teeth. “I command the flames,” I spoke, daring to glance at the window at the team. “It doesn’t hurt me, nor does it weaken me too much. I am also—” I smirked once more, revealing my gleaming fangs. “I’m also, extremely hard to kill.” With that, I twisted my fingers once more, and the fire-drake shimmered away in a puff of black smoke, the dummies putting themselves out one by one.

With a sigh, I slowly descended to the ground, hovering for a moment before I felt my wings and tail shrink and melt away into my skin, invisible, but still there under the surface. My horns itched as they retracted, and I had to struggle not to reach up and scratch at my scalp. I landed lightly on the balls of my feet and rested my hands on my hips.

“For some reason, this form is not as dangerous, probably something to do with the more, _‘humanized’_ features, I think,” I continued. “I can still manipulate fire and magic in this form, and am pretty warm to the touch, though not ‘melt the building into a pile of molten lava’ levels of power.”

“You can do that?” Bruce asked finally, coming closer to the glass. I smiled and nodded my head, coming closer to the glass. “Yeah, found that out during the Apocalypse Incident,” I replied. “This suit was designed my Dr. McCoy to withstand my body temperature as I go full-inferno, for lack of a better term.” I gave a short laugh. “Only took four missions of burning through my clothes and coming back wearing a nothing but a blanket to get it right.”

I glanced over to where Loki and Thor were standing, twin, stunned looks gracing their features. I couldn’t help myself and shot them a mini salute. “Did Sigyn ever do that?” I asked, partly for amusement, partly out of curiosity. Another part of me was hoping to impress them, but damned if I was going to admit it out loud.

“She-she didn’t do that,” Thor whispered. “At least, not that I’ve ever seen first-hand.” I glanced at Loki, waiting for him to say something. “Loki?” I prompted. After what seemed like an awkward eternity, he finally spoke. “I am familiar with this form,” he whispered, my sensitive hearing catching the hoarseness that he tried to mask. He gestured at my body, and I fought the urge to fidget, the ridges and grooves in my skin prominent on my face and arms. “However,” Loki continued. “I’ve only seen your, _‘final form,’_ as you say, just once.”

“Once?” Stark asked, glancing up from the readings that he pulled from some tablet he was scrolling through. “You said you were married; didn’t you know what she looked like without makeup?” he asked sarcastically. Loki narrowed his eyes at Stark, and I quickly spoke up. “Tony,” I admonished. “I don’t think that’s really an appropriate question. The man’s a widower, and apparently knows about my past life. This is just as hard for him as it is for me. Be nice, please.”

I could feel the stares as the team glanced between me, Stark, and Loki. For some reason, I felt the need to defend Loki, and tried to steer the conversation in a safer direction. I sighed, shaking my head as I allowed my human skin to replace my other form. “So, anything else you’d like me to show off?” I asked. “Otherwise, I think I’d like to start the memory sessions with Loki and Thor.” It wasn’t technically a lie, I did, as much as I wasn’t looking forward to it, want to actually learn more about the dreams I’d been having.

Steve was quick to spoke up. “That should be it for now,” he said, giving me a quick nod and short smile. “It’ll be interesting to see you out in the field. Tomorrow, we’ll have you test your magic in the labs with Tony, Bruce, and Loki, if that’s alright?” I nodded my affirmative, and he gave me a slight wave. “Go ahead and get ready for your session with Loki and Thor. And Eldrid . . .” I paused, turning back to face him. “Welcome to the team.”

For some reason, that statement made my heart swell, knowing that I was accepted for who I was. I smiled and gave everyone a final little wave. “Loki, Thor? I’ll meet you by my quarters in fifteen minutes?” I asked. Loki gave a short nod of his head and turned on his heel without another word.

“We’ll meet you there,” Thor promised, following his brother. With a final glance at everyone else, I hurried out of the gym, and took the elevator to the floor I shared with Thor and Loki. Once I got inside my rooms, I sighed, leaning against the door. _‘I need to change into something else besides my suit,’_ I thought briefly, mentally going through my wardrobe to see what shade of green I had that Loki might like. I was halfway to my room when I paused in step.

_‘Why do I feel like I need Loki’s approval about what I look like?’_ I wondered to myself, frowning. For some reason, I wanted to look nice for him, and had wanted to show off what I looked like when I let loose on my inner demons. Part of me had been worried that he’d be disgusted, or afraid. _‘Well, he seemed shocked, but didn’t seem like he disliked what he saw,’_ a little voice whispered in my head. I shook my thoughts away, realizing that I didn’t have a lot of time before the two brothers arrived.

I’d barely managed to change into a loose summer dress—the fact that it was a light mint color was not an indicator of anything, I liked the color—and simple flats when Jarvis suddenly spoke up. “Pardon me for disrupting you, Miss Demonika, but Thor and Loki are requesting permission to enter your quarters,” he intoned. I chuckled at the nickname, finding it highly amusing, yet appropriate.

“Go ahead, Jarvis,” I said, fixing my hair so it just brushed my cheek, leaving my mismatched eyes unobscured. I headed out to the living room and gave a slight smile in greeting as they stepped through the threshold. “I’d offer you something to drink, but I didn’t pick up any groceries yet, aside from bottled water and PB&J fixings,” I apologized.

“There is no need to fret, Lady Eldrid,” Thor said, flapping his hand at me. “We are fine.” He made himself at home, sprawling his large frame onto the couch, which creaked ominously under his weight.

“Really Thor, must you act as a beast? Sit up properly, you’re a guest,” Loki muttered, rolling his eyes at his brother and kicking his leg to scoot him over to one side of the couch. I smirked, covering my mouth to hide my amusement. “It’s alright.” I let out a short breath and cracked my neck in slight anticipation. “Shall we get this show on the road?”

Loki dipped his head to me, and I swear I saw his eyes roving over my cleavage and trailing down to my bare legs for the briefest moment. The thought made my stomach flutter with nerves, and I gingerly took the hand he proffered. Loki led me to the center of the couch, and sat on my other side, Thor straightening to attention. “H-how do we do this?” I asked, silently cursing the nervous tremor in my voice.

“Your Uncle and friend tried to force your memories to the forefront of your mind, yes?” Loki asked me, and I nodded my head. “Yeah, and it sent me into shock, and my heart stopped once or twice, I think. We’re not gonna try that again, are we?” I asked skeptically.

Thor looked alarmed. “You nearly died?” he practically bellowed, and I winced once more at his too close for comfort booming. “Yes, I was in the infirmary. We didn’t know what was going to happen when they tried to find out what my dreams were. We haven’t tried it since,” I told him in a quiet tone, and Thor seemed to get the hint, shrugging sheepishly in response.

“We will not be doing that,” Loki reassured, his thumb stroking soothingly over the back of my hand. “This time, I am going to send you into a trance, a dream-like state, and try to work through your dreams, one at a time. We will only focus on one, today,” he said when I opened my mouth to protest. “Anything more, and I believe that you will be too weak to properly handle it and will once more go into shock.”

“Is it safe to do this?” I asked. “And why is Thor needed for this? No offense,” I said quickly, shooting Thor an apologetic smile. “I didn’t think you could do magic like Loki.”

“I do not,” Thor said, dipping his head in acknowledgement. “However, Loki believes that we both hold key memories that match up with your dreams. Loki—” he pointed to his brother. “—is going to use his witchcraft and both of our memories to align with yours.”

“By doing so,” Loki continued, shooting Thor a look of mild annoyance at the poke at his abilities. “My Seidr will draw forth the dream safely and will allow it to play out with clarity. It should give you some insight about Sigyn’s life before.”

I nodded my head slowly, processing what was going to happen. “Alright then,” I said after a moment. “Ready when you are.” Loki inclined his head and reached out with one hand to Thor. His other hand reached up and touched my temple. “Relax, Eldrid,” he said softly, and I felt his magic wash over me in a cool wave.

I shivered, suddenly feeling calm and almost floaty, as if I were drifting in between awake and dreaming. I let a sigh escape me, settling more comfortably against the couch. “Thor, take my hand, you _oaf_, this won’t work if I cannot maintain a connection to both of you,” I heard Loki snap, and I opened my eyes a crack—_ ‘When did I close my eyes?’_ I wondered—to see Thor sheepishly take Loki’s free hand. “Now, take Eldrid’s other hand, and focus on our first meeting.”

I felt Thor gingerly take my other hand in his giant paw of a hand and closed my eyes once more. “Focus on the image as it appears, Eldrid,” I heard Loki whisper. In my mind, a fuzzy image began to take shape and form, a little speck in the distance, before it morphed into an entire picture.

_“Remember the past, Sigyn.”_

**************

“Sigyn, won’t you try to eat something?” I heard Queen Frigga ask gently. I glanced up at her from where my chin rested on my forearms, my feet dangling off the edge of the chair before I returned my gaze to the table I was leaning on, shaking my head. It was evening and the Queen had me join her in her private garden for dinner, feeling that it would be best to try to get me acclimated to my new home slowly. It was just the two of us, King Odin eating his meal in his private office as he went over paperwork, according to Frigga.

“Little one, I know you miss your mother,” Frigga said, brushing some hair back from my face. “But I think you know as well as I do that this is for your own safety. I’m sure she would want you to eat more than a nibble here or there, and not wasting away.” I let out a slight sigh, feeling tears well up as I thought of mama. Slowly, I sat up and dragged my plate closer to me, forcing myself to take a few bites. It did taste good, this strange food, but everything seemed to want to stick in my throat. I could see that Frigga was watching me closely, though, and made myself finish my plate.

Once she was satisfied that I’d eaten enough, she smiled. “How are you finding your rooms, do you like them?” I shrugged a little, unable to meet the gaze of the pretty queen across from me. I could hear the slight humor in her voice as she continued to speak. “Sigyn, you will have to speak eventually,” she admonished. “I for one would like to hear your beautiful voice.” Silence, then she gave a slight sigh. “Would you like a sweet for dessert?”

I glanced up at her shyly and shook my head before I cast my gaze back down to my slippers, kicking my feet lightly back and forth. I didn’t like wearing anything over my feet, preferring to run on naked soles as I had my entire life, but Odin said that it wasn’t appropriate for a little lady, whatever that meant.

When I’d first arrived here weeks ago, I was given strange food and drink I’d never had before, and while it did taste good, it was hard to swallow down around the thick lump that formed in my throat. I’d managed to choke down a few bites, before Odin announced that I should try to get some sleep before the rest of the night was over and was taken to a small room in what Frigga told me was the Royal Quarters, not too far from where she and Odin slept. It was a nursery, the same one her sons used when they were my age, she’d told me. It had a soft, comfortable bed, a dresser for undergarments and sleepwear, and a cabinet Frigga said was for dresses and shoes for me to wear in the day.

She’d helped me bathe that night, an entirely new experience for me. I’d been scrubbed clean with help from mama before, but never in this skin. The water was so strange, and clean, and I didn’t have to worry about poisonous gasses or the water being so hot it would boil my flesh if I touched it, despite my natural resistance to most heat. As she bathed me, Frigga inspected each bruise, scratch and scar closely, cleaning them carefully, and if she noted how my ribs poked through my skin, she didn’t comment. While she maintained a pleasant smile and told me stories of my new home of Asgard, I watched her eyes carefully; they couldn’t hide the sadness and anger in her gaze as she finished bathing me.

After the bath, Frigga put me in the softest clothing I’d ever worn, the old torn rags and my cloak I’d been wearing having been discarded by a maid while I’d bathed. She tucked me in, and read me a story, until I’d finally fallen asleep. Unfortunately, my dreams hadn’t been pleasant. I’d dreamed of mama; I couldn’t catch up to her as she ran from me, no matter how fast I tried to move. Eventually, she faded out of sight, and I was left alone in the dark. I’d called for her, crying out for her, but there was no answer, save for the silence.

The next day, I’d woken up, and didn’t recognize where I was. I’d been afraid, and uncooperative when the maids came and tried to ready me for the day. I didn’t know them, I didn’t want them to touch me, and I wanted to go home. I wanted _Mama_, not these strangers. I didn’t like the fancy dresses that they tried to force me into, they felt too heavy and itchy on my sensitive skin. One tried everything to get me laced into a pale pink smock, while the other tried to force slippers onto my feet. I fought them, protesting loudly with screaming, kicking and clawing until I’ finally managed to wriggle free and dove under the bed for shelter, naked as the day I was born.

Frigga had to coax me out hours later, after I’d growled and bitten, hissed and scratched the previous hands that had tried to pull me out from underneath my hiding place. Frigga never raised her voice at me, not once, as she managed to lure me out and into her comforting arms. Though she never yelled, maintaining that soft and gentle tone, I felt properly scolded as she told me that though she understood that I was scared and wanted mama, it was wrong to bite and hurt others. As she spoke, I buried my face into her shoulder, sobbing and clinging to her like a lifeline.

Frigga wrapped a shawl around my nude, pale body, shielding me from the curious gazes of the maids, and rocked me in a soothing manner, gently petting the back of my head in long, slow strokes. Odin wasn’t thrilled that I’d attacked the maids, but Frigga spoke to him in hushed tones, and he’d only warned me in a gruff manner to act as a child, not a heathen.

In the days following, I’d behaved as Frigga and Odin asked, allowed the maids to dress me as an Asgardian without a fuss, nibbled on the food and drink provided for me, and clung to Frigga as I trailed after her in her gardens as she told me all about the palace life, and her two children. I’d yet to meet them, as they were away on a hunting trip with their friends. “Sigyn?”

I glanced up once more at the queen and stopped swinging my feet back and forth. “I’d like to try to integrate you into some schooling. You are around the age to begin lessons in essential knowledge that will help you grow into a smart young woman.” I chewed my lip and felt my brows crease as she spoke. I’d never been around any other child my age and tried to stay out of sight of most everyone back home for fear of being struck by whatever they carried in their hands at the time. Father was never nice to me, and I’d not always been successful at escaping his rage and bore plenty of scars from my encounters with him that mama couldn’t shield me from. I felt the nagging coil of fear sitting in my belly like ice.

“Don’t be afraid little one,” Frigga said gently, as if she could hear my thoughts. “I will not allow any harm to come to you.” I did feel a bit better at her words, and relaxed a bit, sitting back in my chair. “Now, there is someone I’d like you to meet. My sons—”

_“Mother!”_ a voice bellowed out suddenly, booming in an abnormally loud echo within the confines of the queen’s gardens. “We have returned successful from our trip!” I froze in my seat, feeling my claws digging into the tabletop in fear as the source of the yelling burst through the archway in a quick gait, barely stopping before he crashed into the table.

“Thor, while I am glad that you and your brother had good fortune during your hunt, I must remind you that it is unnecessary to shout,” Frigga admonished gently. The man gave a half-hearted shrug, and kissed the cheek proffered to him. I watched him with wide eyes, half-ready to leap from my chair and out of harm’s way. He was big, much bigger than the few men I’d seen around the palace as I’d clung to Frigga’s skirts. His blond hair was a little long, perhaps midway down his chin, with a small bit of scruff dotting his lip and cheeks. His bright blue eyes suddenly landed on me, and I stiffened. “Ho there, and who are you?” he asked in a loud voice, reaching out with a hand to ruffle my hair.

I suddenly hissed in agitation, swiping at his hand with sharp little claws. The man yelped in pain, rearing back in surprise as I suddenly darted from my chair, knocking it over in my haste to escape. I scrambled backwards, a low growl emanating from my throat.

“Little one, it’s alright, he didn’t mean to startle you,” Frigga spoke quickly, rising from her chair. “It’s alright, no one is going to hurt you.” She kept her voice low and soothing, making slow steps towards me until I grasped her skirts and hid behind her, trying to bury myself in her garments. “She scratched me!” I heard the man say in agitation, and I shuddered, feeling adrenaline and fear snaking down my body.

“She didn’t mean to hurt you,” I heard Frigga say, and I felt her place a gentle hand over my hair in a soothing manner. “She is very shy and frightens easily and tends to lash out in fear. You must be calm and easy with her, Thor. She is just a child, and learning, still.”

I heard a deep chuckle, and another voice speaking out. “It seems you’ve acquired a little kitten with claws while we were gone, Mother,” they said, and I peeked out from behind Frigga’s skirts timidly. It was another man, just a bit taller than the blond—whom was clutching his hand tightly to stave off the bleeding—and built slenderer. His hair was blacker than anything I’d ever seen in my life, and his eyes seemed to sparkle with amusement and mischief.

“Hello, little one,” he cooed, kneeling down on one leg in front of Frigga and me. I clutched tighter to the queen’s skirts, nervous energy making my hands fidget with the material lightly. “What is your name?”

I hesitated, looking up at Frigga. She smiled gently, patting my head once. “It’s alright,” she encouraged. I swallowed lightly, licking my dry lips. “Sig-Sigyn,” I whispered, my voice crackling and scratchy from disuse. The dark-haired man smiled, his pale face lighting up with a flash of triumph. “Sigyn, what a pretty name for a pretty child,” he replied, giving me a slight wink. “I am called Loki, and the overgrown oaf you scratched is my brother, Thor.”

I couldn’t help the slight twitch of my lips as I fought a smile, once more burying my face in Frigga’s skirt. I mumbled into the fabric and felt Frigga’s hand gently press on the back of my skull. “Would you repeat that, Sigyn?” she asked softly. “I don’t think we heard you.”

I slowly pulled my face away, looking down at the ground as I felt tears well in my eyes. “I’m sorry I hurted you,” I whispered, scrubbing at my face. “I was scared.”

“I’m sure you were,” Loki said soothingly. “Thor can be quite scary when he bellows.” Thor made a slight, indignant squawk, rolling his eyes. “Tis but a scratch, little lady,” Thor grumbled out. “I . . . apologize for startling you.”

I gave a slight shrug, scuffing one foot over the ground. “Sigyn, these are my sons, the Princes of the realm,” Frigga said, ushering me out gently from behind her. “My sons, this is Sigyn. She will be staying with us for the foreseeable future as a Ward of Asgard,” she explained.

“What is she to have such sharp claws to cause this?” Thor asked, wiping up the remnants of blood from his hand. “I’ve never met a child as quick to draw blood. Nor to hiss and spit as a kitten might,” he added with a chuckle.

Frigga cleared her throat. “She is an elemental,” the queen said quickly. “A fire elemental, to be precise, and could be quite deadly if provoked. Sigyn is here to live a better life, as her home is not suitable for a child to grow and learn to control her abilities. She was . . .” she glanced at me and cleared her throat once more. “She was no longer safe.”

I glanced up at her, wanting to tell her that was not true, I wasn’t an elemental, but I remembered mama’s words not to tell, and kept my lips sealed. _‘Mama . . .’ _I glanced down at my slippers, scuffing them once more on the pathway, trying not to cry. Crying never did anything but give me a headache, a runny nose, and red cheeks.

“You poor little thing,” Loki said, drawing my attention back to him. His gaze seemed to soften slightly as he took in my red cheeks. “Have you ever seen Seidr before?” he inquired, and I cocked my head curiously, glancing up at Frigga. She smiled and motioned for me to step closer to Loki.

I took a few hesitant steps forward, and he smiled at me before he held out a hand before me. Slowly, a green mist filled his palm, shimmering until it formed a green and gold butterfly that fluttered its wings gently.

I gasped, my eyes growing round as it took flight, coming to land on the tip of my nose. It tickled, and I couldn’t stop the giggle that erupted from me. “It’s pretty,” I cheered, clapping my hands as it flit to and fro around me. Thor let out a chuckle. “Leave it to you to enchant a pretty girl with tricks and charms,” he said, shaking his head.

Loki’s brows furrowed a little, and the butterfly disappeared with a slight mist. I let out a little whine of disappointment, but Loki shook his head, smiling at me once more. “Don’t be sad, Kitten,” he said in a placating manner. “Perhaps on the morrow, I will show you some more little tricks. Would you like that?” I nodded my head eagerly.

“Loki,” Frigga spoke up. “I was just telling Sigyn that she will begin schooling soon. Mayhap you’d be so kind as to assist me in teaching her the ways of Seidr?” My eyes grew wide at the prospect of creating something beautiful, instead of everything bursting into flames. I looked up at Loki, my eyes pleading.

Loki glanced between Frigga and I, before he gave a short nod. “Of course, Mother,” he replied, straightening to his full height. Thor began to guffaw. “Stuck with babysitting now, brother?” he chuckled, and I saw Loki’s eyes narrow in irritation. “Perhaps you wouldn’t mind showing Sigyn around the palace and the capital at large, Thor?” Frigga spoke up, a hint of mirth in her voice.

Thor’s mouth fell open, and it was Loki’s turn to snigger. “After the morning meal, you two shall be in charge of Sigyn’s care for the day. I have duties that I must attend to that I have put off long enough, including seeing to a nanny for our young ward.”

I felt Frigga pat my head gently, and I turned to look up at her with mild apprehension. “Don’t fret, Sigyn,” Frigga cooed softly, a smile gracing her features. “You will be perfectly safe with my sons. They will ensure that nothing happens to you while you get acquainted with each other.” While she spoke, her tone seemed to take on a warning note, and I heard both brothers murmur quite affirmations.

“Now however,” she continued. “It is time for you to get ready for sleep; it’s nearing your bedtime, and you’ve a full day ahead of yourself on the morrow.” I nodded my head a little and reached for Frigga’s hand when Loki spoke up.

“We can take you to bed, little one,” he offered. “Perhaps you can tell us a little about yourself.” I looked between Loki, Frigga and Thor, the queen giving me an encouraging nod, while Thor did his best to seem interested, and I gave a little half-hearted shrug. “Okay,” I whispered softly.

I grabbed onto two of Loki’s fingers, the digits much larger than my own, and marveled at how cool they seemed compared to my own warm skin before my fingers cooled to his temperature. It didn’t hurt, but it felt strange, so I didn’t say anything, brushing it off as something normal. Loki didn’t seem to notice it, and he led me to walk carefully between the two brothers. “Thor, why don’t you tell Sigyn about our hunting trip?” Loki suggested, trying to draw him into some sort of conversation. “I’m sure Sigyn would like to know how you managed to take back Mjolnir from the Stone Giants.”

Thor seemed to swell with pride at the memory, and he began to speak animatedly about their trip. “Well, the Hammer Mjolnir, gifted to me by the Allfather, had gone missing during the night. I’d tried everything I could think of to find it, and was finally forced to seek out Loki’s help in recovering its whereabouts . . .”

***

_“Wake up, dearest.”_

I gave a soft groan, not wanting to move. “Mmm, nnnooo, too comfy,” I mumbled, burrowing deeper into the warmth that surrounded me. I took a deep inhale of my pillow, taking in the scent of cool wintergreen and crisp pine, and gave a contented hum. When my pillow began to chuckle, I frowned, and when I felt fingers card through my short hair, brushing it back from my left cheek, my eyes popped open.

_‘I’m snuggling the literal God of Lies and Mischief,’_ was my first thought. The second thought that crossed through my mind wasn’t exactly a PG-rated scenario, and I sat up quickly, blinking the sleep from my eyes in embarrassment.

“Enjoy your nap?” Loki asked smugly from where he lounged against the arm of the sofa. I narrowed my eyes at him. “What happened to respecting my space?” I asked instead. His smirk seemed to grow larger.

“You fell asleep and clung to me as I tried to leave. Rather than try to dislodge you and risk waking you, I stayed put. Can you really blame me if you are the one who invaded my space?” I gave an irritated huff, rolling my eyes as my cheeks heated. “Where’s Thor?” I asked, desperate to change the topic a little.

“Thor left hours ago once the memory played itself out. Most likely, he is in the training room, as he and me rarely need to sleep.” He straightened up, mirth leaving his face. “Your memory, can you recall it, now that you are conscious?”

“I—” I paused, considering the images that traipsed through my mind. “Yeah, I can. I—I mean, Sigyn—it was when she first met you both. That was the first time she really spoke for weeks, wasn’t it?”

Loki gave a nearly imperceptive nod. “Yes. Thor and I were barely of age, and he sported that stupid scraggly goat’s whiskers he called a beard for quite some time before it grew out.”

I couldn’t stop the snort of laughter that escaped me, and I clapped a hand over my mouth. Loki’s lips twitched slightly, and I cleared my throat. “Ah, that would explain why you both looked so young. You were barely out of your teens then, right?”

“If you are going by the Midgardian terms of aging, then yes, we were around that range,” Loki answered, thinking it over for a moment. “We were roughly two hundred years old then.” I blinked, doing the math. “You said you’ve known Sigyn for over a thousand years. So, then you and Thor are—”

“Roughly 1500 years old,” he finished. “We are in the prime of our life, and will likely live another three millennia more, give or take a few years.” I blinked slowly, shock coursing through me. “Wow . . .” I breathed. “That’s . . . that’s a really, really long time to live,” I murmured.

Loki gave a half-hearted shrug. “We are gods, time doesn’t mean much to us,” he sniffed, and I rolled my eyes at his arrogant tone.

“Okay, ancient ass,” I smirked at his glare. “So, apparently, Sigyn was just a child when you met. I’m guessing she was probably around five in Midgardian years?” Loki nodded. “Yes. You were just about to start your basic education when we’d met.” If he’d hoped to get a rise out of referring to me as Sigyn, it wasn’t going to work, and I pointedly ignored it.

“I remember that she was afraid to start school; she was afraid people would hurt her because she was different, like they hurt her from her home before Asgard.” Loki grimaced. “Yes, and she was correct, I’m sad to say.”

I bit my lip, almost afraid of the answer. “She didn’t make many friends, did she?” I whispered, and when he shook his head, my heart went out to her. “Poor kid,” I said softly, shaking my head. I thought of something. “You were so nice to her when you first met. Why is that?”

Loki gave a small, genuine smile, his eyes taking on a far away look. “I am not only the god of Lies an Mischief,” he said. “I am also known as the God of Revelry, the Wind God, the Angry God—” he gave a slight smirk when I snorted. “And the guardian of Children.” His smile faded, and his face took on a shadow of anger. “However, after Sigyn . . . I couldn’t bring myself to feel joy, and spent less time celebrating the more light-hearted aspects of my godhood and wallowed within the darker parts of myself.”

We fell silent then, and I tentatively reached out to gently clasp Loki’s hand in my own. He jumped, startled for a moment, before he returned the gesture, squeezing my fingers after a moment. “I’m sorry,” I said quietly. “I can’t imagine how hard it must have been to lose her.”

Loki cleared his throat, his face sliding into a mask. “It matters not,” he said in an indifferent tone, and I knew that Loki was done discussing the matter. “I’m sure as we begin to unlock more of your memories, you will learn more about our tale.” He stood then, and I followed suit. Loki raised my hand to his lips, brushing his cool lips over the thin skin of my knuckles. I tried not to shudder at the not unwelcome touch, though Loki’s chuckle let me know that he noticed. “We will continue this tomorrow. After you’ve had your morning meal, come down to the labs; Stark’s little minion will take you there.”

I rolled my eyes at his disdain for JARVIS and watched him head for the door. “Until tomorrow, Kitten,” he called over his shoulder with a slight purr. I froze at the nickname, barely registering the door closing behind him as I had a brief flash of arousal surge through me. An image of Loki and I locked in an intimate embrace in some hidden alcove coursed through my mind’s eye; I could see myself holding Loki close as he trailed light, sucking kisses over my throat, teeth grazing my earlobe as he whispered something dirty in my ear. One hand crept upwards underneath my dress, cool fingers trailing over the sensitive skin of my thigh as he inched closer to my core. My hand—the one not tangled in his inky black hair—gripped him through his leather trousers, rubbing slowly in time with his hand on me. _“That’s it, Kitten,”_ he purred.

I inhaled sharply, shaking my head to clear the thought—_'Memory?’_ I wondered—from my mind. “Fuck,” I breathed in a shaky voice, trying to regain a semblance of control. “What the hell was _that?”_ After taking a moment to collect myself, I fixed myself a quick sandwich, made a mental note to put in a grocery order through JARVIS, and headed for my bed for a long, restless night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus Points for anyone who knows what story Thor was telling Sigyn~


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter is a bit short, But Short Chapter is better than No Chapter, right?  
The next chapter will be much longer in length~

_A few weeks later . . ._

I growled low in my throat, hands curled around my lightweight daggers as I readied my stance. Loki smirked from across the mat, not a hair out of place as he twirled his own blades in preparation. “Are you sure you can handle this, Kitten?” he sniffed, cocking a slim brow.

“Think you can handle getting your ass handed to you?” I replied, lips twitching with mild amusement. Loki scoffed slightly, before he darted forward, daggers slashing in a blur. I barely had time to twist out of the way and push off with one foot into the air, the other swinging around to press off his back, flipping and landing a ways away from him.

Loki grunted and stumbled before regaining his footing just as quickly, spinning around and sending a blast of Seidr my way. I sucked in a sharp breath, barely able to dodge the attack before Loki was there, bringing his dagger up towards my face.

Grunting with effort, I parried the blow, kicking my foot towards his knee in an effort to bring him down. Loki must’ve foreseen the move, because the next thing I knew, his knee was blocking the kick, and he pushed me back a few feet. Time seemed to be nonexistent as we lunged, parried, kicked, swung, dodged, and slashed at each other, neither really able land a solid hit.

“Really now, Kitten, how long do you think you can keep this up?” Loki taunted. “Just give in . . . what do you have to lose?”

“My dignity,” I quipped, one dagger flying out of my hand, aimed for his smug, pretty-boy face. I gasped in surprise when he didn’t bother dodging the attack, but it shot right through his forehead, between his eyebrows. His form shimmered briefly, before dissipating in a flash of green shimmer.

I spun around, gripping my other dagger as I searched the gym for Loki. “Okay, now that’s cheating,” I griped, keeping on the balls of my feet. “Oh, but you never said anything about the use of Seidr, Kitten,” I felt Loki’s lips brush my ear, and I gasped, turning my head to find nothing there.

“Show yourself,” I demanded, lips quirking in a slight snarl. “Stop hiding like a chicken shit!” suddenly, I felt Loki’s arms wrap around me like steel bands, pulling me back against an equally hard chest. One hand reached up and twisted my wrist, causing me to yelp in pain as the dagger clattered to the ground. I growled low in my throat, throwing my head back in an attempt to hit Loki.

Loki gave a grunt of pain as I connected with his nose and mouth, letting me go long enough to spin and roundhouse him in the face . . . at least, that’s what I was aiming for. Instead, He caught my leg, and managed to knock my ass onto the mat.

I huffed as the breath left my lungs in a rush and flipped over in an attempt to crawl away. “Not so fast, Kitten,” Loki growled, tackling me back onto the mat. I turned underneath him and swung out with my fists, snarling in rage. Loki chuckled darkly, catching my fists easily and trapping them over my head, straddling my hips.

I struggled against his grip for a moment, before I finally went limp beneath him, the both of us panting from effort. “Do you yield, Kitten?” Loki growled, leaning down so his face was inches from mine. I groaned, rolling my eyes before I gave a short bob of my head.

“Use your words, Kitten,” Loki whispered, running his nose alongside my throat. I gasped, unable to speak for a brief second before I managed to stutter out an answer. “I-I yield!”

Loki chuckled low in his throat, before he slowly sat up, his hands still securing my wrists. I took in his features, a small part of me that wasn’t pissed that I lost secretly thrilled to see he was just a bit disheveled—hair falling over his eyes, face flushed from exertion, and lip slightly bloodied. “Alright . . . You won,” I sighed, flexing my hands within his grip. “You, uh, mind letting me up now?”

Loki cocked his head slightly, as if he suddenly found me to be a curious creature that caught his attention. A slow, knowing smirk caused his face to darken with Mischief with a capital ‘M,’. and he leaned in closer to me, face inches from mine. “Oh, but I quite like having you underneath me,” he purred, and I felt my face flame at the not unpleasant shivers that immediately ran down my spine. Loki chuckled, eyes turning a dark shade of emerald as lust began to leech in. “And if I’m not mistaken, you enjoy it as well.”

I narrowed my eyes, feeling his arousal begin to grow as he ground into me slowly, gently. “I’m not answering that,” I huffed. Loki made good on his promise that first night: He respected my wishes and didn’t bother me overly much while we worked through my dreams and memories, but damned if he didn’t tease me at every opportune moment outside of my quarters. Nothing overtly sexual, per se. But he constantly made excuses to touch me, brush his fingers through my hair, gently guiding me with his hand placed on the small of my back, just simple little things. Oh, and the innocent-ish double innuendos were beginning to drive me crazy . . . and he knew it. Which is what led us to the fight in the gym.

“Really now?” he purred. Gently, he nuzzled along my jaw, and I bit my lip to hold back a whimper. “The little tell-tale signs are all the answer I need. Your delightfully mismatched eyes are dilated, and your skiin is flushed a pretty little shade of rose.” I let out a light whimper as his teeth nipped at a sensitive spot on my jaw, only to soothe the slight sting with his cool tongue. His chuckle was cut off as the doors to the gym slid open.

“What the hell is going on here, now?!” I heard the one of two voices I never wanted to head in this situation, and the cold sensation that flashed through me as I realized the compromising position, we were in sank into my mind. Loki was immediately off of me, and I had to tamp down the disappointment that tried to flare at the loss of his body against mine. Loki held a hand out to me, and I took it quickly.

“_Vati!_ Mama, uh . . .” I floundered for my words for a moment, scrambling to my feet. I felt as if I had just been caught with my hand in the cookie jar, glancing between my unamused father and my mother, whom looked stone-faced, and would’ve been absolutely terrifying, if it weren’t for the fact that I could see her vibrant green eyes twinkling with amusement.

“Apologies,” Loki cut in smoothly, transforming into the charming gentleman. I blinked in mild surprise and bemusement as he gave a polite smile. “Miss Lehnsherr and I had a bet, you see,” he continued. “If she could defeat me in combat, without the use of her magic or fiery powers, I would perform whatever task she required, without complaint.” I huffed out an irritated groan, and Loki smirked at me. “However, I won.”

My father gave a slow grunt of annoyance. “Yes, as we could clearly see,” he muttered.

“What, um, what are you doing here?” I asked stupidly, and I could barely hear Loki stifle a snort of laughter. I elbowed him in the rib without looking, my lips twitching at his grunt of mild pain. My father’s expression darkened further. “You have been avoiding our calls and texts,” he replied stiffly. “Mister Stark was kind enough to invite us to this facility to visit. He directed us to the gym, where he said you were training. This isn’t exactly what I thought you would be up to here at the Tower.”

Mama rolled her eyes and gave a light scoff as she strode forward, ignoring my father’s ill temper. “Oh, Erik, leave off,” she quipped, shooting me a little wink. “Eldrid is an adult, and besides, I’m sure it was a harmless sparring match.”

I felt my face flush, and ran my hand over my face, groaning. “Yeah, just sparring,” I stressed, shooting a glare at Loki as he chuckled. “Allow me to introduce myself,” he greeted my mother, taking her hand and placing a chaste kiss to the back of her knuckles. “I am Loki, God of Mischief and Lies, Prince of Asgard, at your service.”

Mama blinked, cocking a brow at his title, before she smirked. “Didn’t you give birth to a horse back in the day?” she asked bluntly. I choked on air, clapping a hand over my mouth. “Mama!” I whined, glancing at Loki, who looked as if he couldn’t decide whether to take offense or laugh at the absurdity of the question. “You’ll have to forgive her, she’s lost whatever filter she had the older she gets.”

“Bah!” Mama flapped her hand at me, smirking. “I’m 70, darling; I may be old, but I’m not senile yet.” She shot Loki a small wink, and I shook my head in exasperation. _‘If there’s a merciful deity, they will cause the ground to swallow me alive right now,’ I prayed silently._

“Ah, no, I did not, in fact, birth any creature, nor sire any offspring in general,” he recovered quickly. “While the Allfather rides Sleipnr into battle, that story was a jest my brother and his friends came up with when we were young men. Unfortunately, that story has become widely accepted amongst our worshippers back in the day and has carried on through the centuries as supposed fact.”

I cleared my throat before I gestured to my parents. “Loki allow me to introduce my parents. This is my father, Erik Lehnsherr—” I held my hand in my father’s direction, whom stepped up to my mother’s side to tuck her hand gently into his elbow. “And this, is my mother, Elise Lehnsherr. They are more widely known by their chosen names Magneto, and The Hellion, respectively.”

“A pleasure to meet the ones whom raised such a wonderful woman,” Loki said smoothly, flashing both my parents a smile. _Vati_ narrowed his eyes a fraction, seemingly measuring Loki’s worth. He must’ve found something positive, because he let out a slight sigh. “I understand you believe my daughter is a reincarnation of your wife?” he asked after a moment.

Loki cleared his throat, and I bit my lip, sharing a glance with him. “Yes, _Vati_, and I believe it too,” I said, blinking when I realized that I did believe it, in some small way. “My dreams are matching up with memories both Loki and his brother Thor have of Loki’s late wife Sigyn, and I’m the spitting image of her, right down to the magic and freaky fire-demon stuff.”

Mama gave a slight hum, tapping one slim finger against her chin. “It would make sense,” she mused, glancing at my father. He inclined his head slightly. “Though it still doesn’t explain the circumstances in which I found you.”

“Perhaps it will be revealed in time?” Loki suggested. “After all, we are sorting through your dreams and memories, there may be clues as to your origins.” I chewed my lip slightly, nodding my head. “Maybe,” I said, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

“Well,” Vati broke in after a moment, finally shooting me a warm smile. “Perhaps you’d both give us a little tour of your residence?” I gave a little smile, glad for the distraction. “It will also give us a chance to get to know your new beau.” He shot Loki a small look, clearly not exactly thrilled with the situation.

My face fell, and I could hear Loki and Mama stifling their laughter. “Vati, he’s not my anything!” I whined, stomping my foot in a mild tantrum. My father reached out to pat one weathered hand against my cheek in an affectionate gesture. “Of course, my dear,” he soothed.

“By the way, Ell,” Mama broke in, brushing a white curl of hair back behind her ear. “What did Loki win?” I blinked, confused, before she reiterated. “You lost the bet, didn’t you?”

I looked over at Loki, who gave me a slight smirk. I gave a sigh of defeat. “Alright, out with it,” I muttered, flapping a hand in his direction. “Just don’t make me do something disgusting, please,” I begged.

Loki gave a slight chuckle. “As amusing as it would be to see you clean my chambers, I would not subjugate you to such trivial tasks,” he spoke, his voice taking on that ‘I am a Prince of Asgard,’ tone. “Instead, I would dare ask of you to join me for an evening of fine dining and entertainment, with your permission, of course.”

I blinked, shocked. “You want to . . . take me on a date?” I repeated dumbly. Loki snorted in a rather peasant-like way, and I stifled a laugh. “I do not ‘date,’ as you call it. I would prefer to call it ‘courting.’ I wish to get to know you, the real you, and spend time in your company.”

I felt my cheeks flush, and glanced at my parents, unsure how to respond. ‘Loki . . . wants to “court me,” and learn about me?’ My parents shared a look, bemused, before my father cleared his throat. “Well, answer him, Eldrid,” he said a little gruffly. I blinked, before turning back to Loki. “I . . . guess so?” I asked in a slightly strangled voice.

Mama scoffed, rolling her eyes. “She’d love to,” she told him with a smile. “Her favorite flowers are Peonies, and she loves red wine.” I gasped as Loki chuckled, nodding his head. “I shall keep that in mind, Lady Elise,” he purred.

“Mama!” I gave her a look of exasperation, and she cocked a brow at me. “What? Loki seems like a nice young man, and I want more grandchildren,” she replied as if she were discussing the weather. I slapped a hand over my face, groaning in embarrassment.

“Please ignore my mother, she’s crazy and has dementia or empty-nest syndrome or something,” I begged Loki. The smug bastard just grinned, teeth gleaming in the light. “Shall we arrange for later this week?” he asked me, and I nodded my head weakly. “Then I shall give you further details then. For now, I shall leave you to spend time with your parents.”

With that, he took my hand in his and brushed a smooth, icy kiss to my knuckles, and I had to stifle a gasp. He smirked, fully aware of the effects he had on me, and gave a short bow to my parents. “I look forward to seeing more of you in the future,” he said graciously. “Perhaps you will join us for the evening meal?”

“Of course,” My father said cordially, still not exactly thrilled with Loki, but at least he seemed to be able to tolerate him at the moment. “It was . . . interesting, meeting you.” Mama elbowed him lightly, frowning. “Oh, Erik, be nice.” She turned to Loki with a smile. “We’ll see you for dinner, Loki. It was a pleasure meeting you.”

With one last nod, Loki left the gym, leaving me behind with my fate resting in my parents’ hands. My father turned to me, cocking a brow. “So . . . should I be planning his murder in the near future?” he asked in a fairly polite tone.

I groaned, shaking my head. ‘This is going to be a long afternoon,” I muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wild Guest Appearances!~  
Yes, there will be more of Mama and Vati later on, as well as others . . . *dramatic music*
> 
> On Another Note, I've been thinking about transposing the Memory snippets into another work. These would just strictly be of Sigyn and Loki on Asgard, leading up to the events of this fic, but will only be updated as the Memories progress. It will contain memories from this fic, as well as other events in their lives that aren't going to be covered here. Thoughts on this anyone?


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING:  
Serious Spoilers for Bound By Fate Series! Don't Read if You're Reading the Hellion, it's not finished yet!  
Or do so, but be warned that the Rest of the BoH Series isn't up yet, your choice~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly filler, but it does start the ball rolling for AoU.  
My ~slightly~ early B-Day present for you folks. Happy Saint Patrick's Day~

“So, your mother is _the_ Hellion? And your father . . .” Sam Wilson trailed off, glancing between my parents sipping tea and coffee of their choice, small smirks alight on their faces. I sighed, nodding my head for the fifth time in response.

“Magneto, yes,” I replied to the man. I’d met him a few days prior; he was a self-labeled “part-time Avenger,” and had some sort of meeting with Steve. He seemed pretty nice, really funny, but just couldn’t seem to wrap his head around my parents’ identities.

After showing them my quarters and some of the main features of the Tower to my parents, we decided to take a little coffee break and catch up with what was happening back at the Mansion and with the rest of my family. Sam happened to enter the common room, and was stunned to have two elderly, notorious mutants sitting on the couch as if it were a part of their everyday routine.

“Huh,” was the only reply I got from him. My mother gave a slight chuckle. “You may ask us whatever you feel the need to, Mr. Wilson,” she invited, gesturing to one of the other seats available. “We don’t bite . . .” she paused to raise her teacup to her lips. “Much.”

Sam’s eyes widened warily as he glanced between my mother and I, and I just smothered a snicker, nodding my head. “They’ve been asked every question under the sun by so many students over the years, I doubt there’s much that would shock them at this point,” I told him.

Sam gingerly sat down across from my father, who eyed him with a slightly bemused expression he reserved for students that had a foolish comment to make in class. “So . . . just, how many children do you have?” he finally asked _Vati_.

_Vati’s_ expression shuttered for a moment, and I glanced at my feet for a moment. “In total, we have had six children,” he said after a moment, taking my mother’s hand when she set her slightly shaking cup to the coffee table. “My oldest son, Peter, is from a previous liaison, from before I met Elise.”

“Wait, the Quicksilver is your brother?” Clint asked, crossing the threshold with Nat and Steve in tow. I watched as my mother’s face lit into a smile. “Clint, Natalia, it’s good to see you again,” she greeted warmly, standing to hug Natasha as she made a beeline for her. “how have you been? I feel it’s been far too long since we last spoke.

“It’s wonderful to see you, as well,” Natasha returned just as warmly. “We are doing very well, thank you for asking after us.”

Clint gave a slight nod of acknowledgement to my father, and gave my mother a hug as soon as she released Nat. “It has been a few years,” he returned. “But we’ve been surviving.”

I furrowed my brows. “Wait, just how is it you know Clint and Nat?” I asked in confusion. “You never told me you know two of the Avengers.”

My father gave me a slight smirk. “Eldrid, do you really think we’d tell you all our secrets?” he asked in amusement. I huffed a breath and crossed my arms. “Coulda mentioned it _before_ I joined them,” I muttered.

Mama gave a little laugh, retaking her seat. “When I was still working with SHEILD, I was asked to help an agent out on an assignment. He was tasked with eliminating a target. Instead, we flipped her, and brought her back with us as a new recruit.”

“You saved my life, gave me a way out,” Nat said simply, sitting next to Sam and Clint. “I can never repay you for it.” Mama just waved her hand. “Bah! think nothing of it. I’m just glad you didn’t shoot me; that wouldn’t have ended well for you.”

“You used to be a part of SHEILD?” Steve piped up, curious. My father nodded his head. “My wife was. I never really saw eye-to-eye with them,” he replied with a slight shrug. I gave a snort. “_Vati,_ you swore up and down that you couldn’t stand Aunt Peggy, yet you were the first one to send her flowers when she retired,” I retorted, rolling my eyes.

“Wait,” Steve interrupted, eyes widening in shock. “You know Peggy Carter?” I nodded my head. “Yes, mama worked with Peggy through the sixties into the early years of the seventies,” answered, glancing over at my mother as she nodded her head.

“When Erik and I resurfaced in the eighties, she was the first one to contact us after the Battle of Cairo. Showed up just hours after I birthed Lorna, in fact. She’s been a steadfast friend through the years, and I try to make the trips three times a month to visit with her.” She glanced at him calculatingly. “Would you like to join us one of these times? I think she’d enjoy seeing Captain America, Magneto and the Hellion in the same room. It might bring her a little laughter again.”

Steve seemed to consider it for a moment. “Yeah, I think I’d like that,” he decided. Sam chose that moment to speak up again. “Okay, that’s two kids you’ve mentioned. We’ve established that Quicksilver is your half-brother—” he pointed at me. “—And that you’ve got a sister, I’m assuming younger?” I nodded my head. “Yep, she’s the baby of the family, and happily married to Iceman,” I replied, smiling as I thought of them both.

“So, where do you fall in this, the middle?” Sam asked, curious. _Vati_ answered for me. “Ell is our middle child, yes. We had a set of twins, Magnus, our second son.” He was quiet for a moment, and squeezed mama’s hand when she reached for him, sighing heavily. I glanced down at my lap for a moment. “And we had two more daughters, before Lorna. Anya, Magnus’ twin, and Nina.” We all fell into an awkward silence then, and my heart felt heavy for the loss my family had suffered.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Steve asked gently, after a moment. “What happened to them?” _Vati_ took a deep breath, and mama closed her eyes, face falling stony for a moment. “Nina was . . . killed, in 1983,” he said slowly. “I had revealed y abilities saving someone at a factory I worked at. Recognizing my true identity, the police arrived to arrest Elise and I, and . . . Nina used her ability to talk to the animals to try and scare them away. She was struck by a misfired arrow.”

Clint cleared his throat. “I vaguely remember when the news reported the incident,” he recalled. “They were scarce on the details but mentioned that one of the bodies identified was your daughter. I’m sorry for your loss; I can’t imagine that kind of pain.”

Mama nodded her head, and I brushed a tear gently from my eye. “She was such a sweetheart,” I said. “She wanted to be a veterinarian when she grew up, since she could talk to animals and tell us if there was something wrong with them.” I let out a deep sigh. “I was in America visiting Magnus and Anya when it happened. Then everything happened so fast, we didn’t really get a chance to fully mourn her until after the school was rebuilt and we were all settled in there.”

“Rebuilt?” Steve asked. “What happened to the school?” Mama finally let out a soft snort, lips quirking. “While it’s not uncommon for the school to undergo some sort of repair due to various . . . incidents with the student body, we were officially the first to ‘blow it up,’ even by accident,” she quipped.

Nat gave a slight smirk. “I’ve heard the stories around SHIELD,” she said. “I don’t think there’s much you do by accident.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “You’ve no idea,” I answered. I let out a slight sigh. “As for my big sister, Anya met a man named Bjorn Maximoff. They both attended the same university, fell in love, and married before moving to Sokovia, Bjorn’s home country. They ended up having twins of their own, my niece and nephew.”

“Unfortunately,” mama continued, taking a shaky sip of her tea. “Civil war broke out in the country, and my daughter and son-in-law were killed. A missile dropped on their house, and they were crushed under the debris.”

“We hurried over to Sokovia as soon as we’d learned of the news, but it was still days before we’d arrived and our grandchildren were found, still alive, but deeply scarred by the incident,” _Vati_ finished. “We’ve raised them ever since, and now that they are of age, they’d both decided to return to their home and help rebuild.”

“That’s absolutely horrible, what your family has gone through,” Sam said, eyes soft with guilt. “I’m sorry I pestered you about it.” My father shook his head. “It isn’t a secret, the struggles we’ve gone through, though it doesn’t make the pain of outliving two of your children any less of a blow.”

It was at that moment that Tony, Bruce, Thor and Loki made their appearance, deep in some sort of discussion with each other. Grateful for a distraction from the painful memories drudged up by curiosity, I immediately called out to them. “Tony! Thanks for the heads up my parents were stopping by, I deeply appreciate the heads up,” I said sarcastically.

Tony gave a smug grin. “You’re welcome, Demonika,” he replied, glancing over at everyone else. I quickly introduced Bruce and Thor to my parents, the former seeming a bit shy, as was the norm. Thor, on the other hand, was a bit enthusiastic with his greeting, kissing my mother’s knuckles and shaking my father’s hand with reverence. “it is an honor to meet the one whom raised Sigyn in this life,” he said in his booming voice.

My father’s eye twitched at the overly loud greeting but nodded his head sagely. I rolled my eyes at the slip of name but chose not to say anything. I glanced at Loki out the corner of my eye, blushing slightly. I turned back to my mother when I saw Tony stride over to my mother. “So, did you really know my father?” he asked without preamble. “How’d that go over?”

Mama, bless her filter less response, didn’t miss a beat. “I met him in ’66 and punched him in the face for commenting about my perfect ass.” Tony’s face fell slightly in disbelief, as my father turned to her in surprise. “You never told me about that,” he stated in mild annoyance.

My mother smiled and patted _Vati’s_ arm gently. “Erik, darling, it was a long time ago, and I took care of it,” she said sweetly. “Immediately after our first initial meeting, I learned who he was, and while we weren’t exactly friends, we worked together for a few years on various assignments with SHEILD. I even introduced him to your mother during one mission. I don’t take credit for it, but I was there at their wedding.”

“Huh,” Tony said, scratching his chin. “Did we ever meet when I was a child?” he asked curiously. “Cuz if we did, I certainly don’t remember it.”

Mama nodded her head, smirking. “Yes, we did. I helped your mother learn to change your diapers, and often brought my own children to play with you while you were very young, just a toddler. You had such a crush on Anya, always toddling after her and showing her your little toys you’d put together; it was adorable,” she gushed. “Your mother and I used to joke about the two of you marrying.”

I, along with everyone else in the room, broke out in wild laughter as Tony’s jaw slackened. “I’m not sure how I feel about this revelation,” he said after a moment, which caused me to snort. “Dude, my mother has enough dirt on so many people, you’re barely a speck in the grand scheme of it,” I said, patting his arm. “Don’t sweat it.”

Turning to the rest of the team, I gave a slight shrug. “Well, anything else you’d like to know?” I asked. “I’m sure mama and _Vati_ won’t mind some Q&A.” I glanced at them, and they nodded their heads in acquiesce. Immediately, everyone began to ask their questions, and my parents answered them one by one.

They spoke well into the afternoon, and I had to smile at the way they’d managed to endear themselves to the team. After a dinner of pizza, Tony offered to have my parents put up in a room for the night, but they waved the offer off, citing that they’d made prior arrangements for the night, and would be leaving to head back to the school in the morning. After final goodbyes were made to the team, I walked my parents to the cab waiting for them outside.

“I do like your teammates,” _Vati_ told me, holding me in a warm hug. “I think you will fit in very well here.” I smiled in agreement. “Thanks, Vati,” I said sincerely, looking up at my taller, aged father. “I’m glad you approve.”

He stepped back to let Mama get her final goodbyes in. “Be sure to tell me how your date with Loki goes on later this week,” she whispered in my ear. “He seems quite smitten with you.” I blushed and shook my head at her commentary. “I’ll talk to you later,” I told them both, waving as they entered their cab and headed off into the night.

With a sigh, I headed up to my quarters, my thoughts revolving around the events of the day. With a pang in my heart, they settled on the conversation about my sisters, and I bit my lip to hold back a quiet sob. Entering my living room, I paced back and forth, and closed my eyes against the onslaught of tears that threatened to rise. I wasn’t alone for long before I felt a familiar presence beside me and lifted my head to look up at Loki. “Are you alright?” he asked me, eyes furrowed. “You seem upset. Is it your parents?”

I shook my head. “No, just . . .” I let out a sigh. “We were discussing my siblings with Sam, Steve, Nat and Clint, and it brought up some very painful memories for all of us. I wasn’t there to save Nina, or Anya. Neither of them should have died, but they did.” I felt tears well up, and I just couldn’t help myself and leaned my head against his chest voluntarily. Loki stiffened for a bare second before he wrapped his arms around me. He brushed his hand soothingly through my short hair in a gentle manner as it bubbled out.

“Nina was so young, just barely eight years old, and just coming into her powers,” I said, sniffling. “Some stupid, damned idiots were trying to arrest my parents, and Nina tried to stop them. One fucker fired his bow and arrow in a panic. And An-Anya and Bjorn had left behind their own young children, killed because of a stupid, fucking civil war. They were all caught in the crossfire, and I wasn’t there. If I had been there—”

“Then perhaps it would be _you_ your family mourns for,” Loki interrupted me, lifting my chin gently. “In Asgard, we believe that we are bound by the threads of Fate, woven into the Tapestry of time by the Norns. Perhaps it was fate, as painful as it is to hear, that your sisters were taken before you were ready for them to go. But do not hold onto that guilt, because it is not for you to carry. You did not cause their demise, nor are you to punish yourself for not being with them. You were exactly were you were meant to be.”

I listened to his words, nodding slowly. “I . . . guess so,” I said after a moment. A thought occurred to me then. “Did—” I cleared my throat a moment before continuing. “Did Sigyn ever go through that kind of loss? Did she ever know that kind of pain?”

Loki said nothing for a moment, watching me carefully before answering. “Yes . . . she did,” he finally answered softly. “You’ve known great loss in your time on Asgard.”

I swallowed hard. “Wh-who?” I whispered. Loki licked his lips and tightened his hold on my arms briefly. “Your mother, Sigrid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *DUN DUN DUUUUUN!* Cliffhanger for ya, since I'm a horrible Lover~ ;)
> 
> I'll have an actualy update for The Hellion soon, been fighting health issues (No, NOT Coronavirus) and started a new job~

**Author's Note:**

> Updates may be slow, but they will show up, promise!


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